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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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REV. H. A. DIETTERICH. 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 



THIRTY-THREE YEARS IN THE MINISTRY, 



SHORT SKETCH OF THE LIFE AND LABORS OF REV. H7 A 
DIETTERICH. 




WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 



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" Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath 
done for my soul." Psalm lxvi. 16. 



YORK, PA.: 

P. ANSTADT * SONS, 
1852. 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1892 by 

REV. H. A. DIETTERICH, 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



THE LIBRARY 
OF CONGRESS 

WASHINGTON 



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INTRODUCTION. 

TO THE READERS '. 

I have often thought it might be the means of 
accomplishing at least some good, to publish a 
short sketch of my Experience-Life and labors, in 
the ministry. Not in a boasting spirit — for I have 
nothing "whereof to boast" — but as a "wonder of 
grace." I have frequently been greatly encour- 
aged, while reading the history of others, and I 
hope this little volume may be the means of in- 
spiring new courage and infusing new zeal into 
the heart of the tempted and tried Christian and 
even influence sinners, to "seek the God of all 
grace." I only regret, that I neglected to keep a 
diary, and therefore am unable, to give dates, 
number of conversions, and many incidents, of in- 
terest. ' . 

But, as it is, I have done the best I could, un- 
der the circumstances, and praying God's blessing 
upon this little book, and its readers, I send it forth 
in his name. 

Truly yours, 

H. A. DlETTERICH, 

Pastor Salona Charge Ev. Lutheran Church, 
Salona, Clinton Co., Pa. 
Novembe?' ist, 1891. 



CHAPTER I. 
A WONDER OF GRACE. 

BIRTH, PARENTAGE, AND THE GREAT MISTAKE OF MY LIFE. 

"Then will I tell, to sinners round, 
What a dear Savior I have found." 

I feel, that the salvation of God has been so 
great, in my case — and has done so much for me — 
that I should make it known to others, and record 
it, where it may be read by them. "When this 
poor lisping stammering tongue lies silent in the 
grave," and therefore this feeble effort to do so, 
in this little book, which shall contain a short 
sketch, of my history, and of God's wonderful 
dealings with me. I w r as born in Columbia 
County, Pennsylvania, April 21st, 1838. My 
father's name was Henry Dietterich and mother's 
name Mary Catharine. Her maiden name was 
Freas. I received the name of Henry Alonzo. 
My father was a farmer, a man of great industry 
and in comfortable circumstances. I had five 
brothers and six sisters. A family of twelve 
of whom I was the youngest. We all lived to 
arrive to years of maturity, and were all married 
and settled down in life, but myself and youngest 
sister, before the family circle was broken by 
death. Father, mother and all my brothers and 
sisters save one brother, are now (1891) gone to 



WONDER OF GRACE. 



their long homes, And I have this confidence, 
that most of them, but \fear not all, are in "Our 
Father's house, in which there are many man- 
sions." Mother died in 1866, aged seventy-one 
years. Her last words spoken to my sister shortly 
before she breathed her last were, "I have finished 
the work given me to do." Words similar to 
those of our blessed Savior, and of the great Apos- 
tle Paul in their last moments. Father died in 
1868, aged seventy-four years. I was with 
him during all the time of his sickness and he fre- 
quently spoke to me very encouragingly of his 
hope for the future, even to the last. One sister, 
said to me when I saw her last on her death bed, 
"We will meet again, in Heaven." The last 
words of another to her weeping husband were, 
"O don't weep, for it is a comfort for me to die." 
Thus they are but gone before. My brother 
Hiram A. Dietterich studied for the ministry in the 
Presbyterian Church. He graduated at the Easton 
College and spent a year at the Princeton Theolo- 
gical Seminary, but his health became so poor, 
that he was obliged to relinguish his studies ling- 
ered a few years and died, July 25th, 1855 aged 
32 years, 11 months and 3 days. He was the first 
one to die in the family. Brother John F., gradu- 
ated at Selin's Grove in 1866 and is in the ministry 
of the Lutheran Church. My parents being Luth- 
erans, I was baptised in infancy by Rev. Isaiah 
Ball, their pastor at that time. I was raised on 



WONDER OF GRACE. 



the farm until fifteen years of age when 
father apprenticed me to the trade of plastering, 
brick laying and stone masoning to Mr. Adarn 
Kester at eight dollars per month. At the expira- 
tion of the first year Mr. Kester went West, and I 
returned to father on the farm. This spring 1854 
a snow, two feet deep, fell on the 14th day of 
April, killing all the spring birds, which had al- 
ready come from the South, March having been so 
spring like that the farmers had their oats sowed. 
I remained on the farm with father until after 
harvest, when he again hired me to the trade with 
Mr. James Wright, of Light street, Columbia Co., 
at $16.00 per month. I worked with him until I 
took sick with bilious fever which was followed by 
fever and ague and finished my work for the sea- 
son. I again returned to father and remained 
with him, working on the farm, and at the trade 
alternately, until eighteen years of age. Here, at 
eighteen I made the great mistake of my life. 
Father said to me, "Now you are eighteen, if you 
wish to remain at home with me until you are 
twenty-one, I will do thus and so for you." "Or 
if you wish to go for yourself, you are at liberty to 
do so. Or, if you desire to go to school and take 
a collegiate course, I will advance you the money, 
as I did to Hiram." O ! how many times I have 
regretted that I did not accept the last offer. But 
I was thoughtless and wild, and my brother having 
offered me a clerkship in his store at Evansville, 



5 WONDER OF GRACE. 

Columbia Co., Pa., I thought that would be the 
place for me, and I hired myself to him for one 
year for one hundred dollars, and I was with him 
the full year. O ! if I had but gone to college, 
instead, and fitted myself for the duties of life to 
which I was afterwards called by God, how much 
better it had been. 




WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER II. 

MARRIAGE, CONVERSIONS AND ENTERING 
UPON THE GREAT WORK OF THE MINISTRY. 

I went to my brother in the store in March 
1856, and while in the store I formed the acquaint- 
ance of Miss Tamar M. Evans, daughter of Mr. 
George and Rebecca Evans, of Evansville, Colum- 
bia Co., Pa., to whom I was married on the fourth 
day of April 1857, and she has shared most 
faithfully the sorrows, afflictions and disappoint- 
ments, as well as the blessings, comforts and 
pleasures of life with me, up to the present time. 
Nobly have we stood together. Up to this time, 
I had been a respectable, though a wild boy. I 
was exceedingly fond of sport and frequented the 
dance, the play and other places of amusement. 
I was the leader among my associates in what we 
thought innocent sport. But after my marriage I 
left off all these things, settled down, spent my 
evenings at home, followed my trade and desired 
to become a man. It was this, that saved me, and 
while I would not advise marriage so early in life, 
yet to me it was a blessing. I had become rather 
wicked, was getting worse, becoming addicted to 
evil habits, and was on the broad road to ruin. 
I had no educational advantages, but the winter 



JO WONDER OF GRACE. 

school of which we had but three months annually. 
And these I could not attend regularly as we had 
a long distance to go, so I could not go while small 
and when older I was frequently obliged to stay at 
home to assist in threshing grain, hauling lime &c. 
I attended as regularly as I could, until eighteen 
years of age when my school days were ended. 
When about thirteen years of age I came forward 
as a seeker of religion one night, in company with 
four of my sisters, at a meeting, conducted by the 
Baptists, in the Fowlersville School House. But 
father being opposed to it, he prevented me trom 
going forward again. I think this was a great 
mistake on the part of father. Had he permitted 
me to continue until converted, and then at the age 
of eighteen made me the offer of going to school, 
I no doubt would have felt differently, would have 
accepted the offer and qualified myself for the 
great work of the ministry. But the result was, I 
became more impenitent, than ever, ceased to give 
the subject of religion a serious thought, discarded 
the Bible and all religious books and papers, never 
read them, and even doubted the Divine authority 
of the Bible and the reality of religion. I would 
warn parents do not stand in the way of your 
children in coming to Christ, lest you should be- 
come chargeable with their blood and their final 
destruction. When I was about seventeen years 
of age father and mother both became converted 
at a meeting in the Baptist Church, conduc- 



WONDER OF GRACE. II 

ted by Rev. E. A. Sharrets, of the Lutheran 
Church. Up to this time my parents had been 
members of the old church, but it was a mere 
name and profession. They attended the sacra- 
ments, but that was all. Of the new birth or re- 
generation they knew nothing experimentally, and 
but little of prayer. Up to the spring I was four- 
teen years of age father never had worship with 
his family. This spring my eldest brother who 
resided in Bloomsburg and was a member of the 
Lutheran Church there moved on the farm to farm 
for father and occupied part of the same house 
with father. My brother held worship with his 
family. So father thought he must try it too. But 
pray he could not. So he purchased a family 
prayer book with scripture lessons and prayer, for 
every morning and evening and now he would 
have worship with his family also. But it did not 
go very well. He was getting up in years, his 
eyes were getting dim and at night he could 
scarcely see to read. That was before coal oil 
lamps were in use, so we had only the tallow 
candle. And while on our knees praying he would 
be obliged to lay down his book, and quit praying 
until he would top the candle, then take up the book 
and finish reading his prayer. This would some 
times be necessary two or three times while read- 
ing one prayer, and made it very inconvenient. 
Finally he arranged to have one of my sisters to 
sit near by and top the light for him while he 



12 WONDER OF GRACE. 

prayed. But it did not go very well. This he 
continued up to the above meeting when one night 
the pastor called on him at the meeting, to lead in 
prayer. He attempted it, but it would not go, as 
he did not have his prayer book with him and was 
not accustomed to praying without it. So his 
prayer was very short. He then arose came to 
the altar of prayer and knelt there as a penitent 
with others of his neighbors, and mother was soon 
kneeling by his side. He was out several even- 
ings when he found peace by believing in Jesus 
and arose a new man. Mother was also happily 
converted to God. Father never afterwards used 
his prayer book at worship and could pray around 
the family altar, or at the meeting whenever asked 
to do so without it. And then there was some 
spirit in his prayers whether the candle was toped 
or not, and he remained a praying man to the time 
of his death. I often saw him read the prayer 
book, but never at worship afterwards. I would 
not condemn the reading of such books, and they 
may be useful. But to depend on them is a mis- 
take. I believe with the poet, that 

"Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, 
Utter'd or unexpressed 
The motion of a hidden fire 
That trembles in the breast." 



Again 



"The Christian's heart his prayer indites, 
He speaks as prompted from within, 
The Spirit, his petition writes, 
And Christ receives, and gives it in." 



WONDER OF GRACE. 13 

God says, "Open thy mouth wide, and I will 
fill it," Paul lxxxi. 10. 

Father now frequently plead with me, with 
weeping eyes, to give my heart to Jesus, but I was 
then entirely unconcerned. He earnestly entreated 
me not to do as he had done, put off this most im- 
portant work, to old age, which should be attended 
to in the days of our youth. He said, "O it is so 
hard for me now, in my old days, to do the work 
I should have done years ago." He never could 
rest satisfied, until I became converted. Perhaps 
what addeJ to his anxiety, was the thought, that 
he had once stood in my way. Parents, take warn- 
ing, or fearful may be the consequence. 

After we were married, I made my home 
with my father-in-law, until October when we 
took up house keeping. My wife's parents enjoyed 
religion and were members of the Evangelical 
Association. Their house was a a house of 
prayer," and a home for the preachers. Here I 
was brought more immediately, under religious 
influences, and became acquainted with their 
ministers on the circuit, Father John Young, long 
since gone to rest, and Rev. J. Clair. In the win- 
ter after we took up house keeping, we attended 
a protracted meeting at the Ebenezer Church of 
the Evangelical Association, conducted by the 
above named ministers. 

At this meeting on Saturday evening myself 
and wife presented ourselves at the altar of prayer 



14 WONDER OF GRACE. 

i 

as penitents with several others. My wife was 
sincere, but I was not. Sabbath morning we 
went to the prayer meeting as they had no preach- 
ing. At this prayer meeting I became very much 
offended at the manner in which the meeting was 
conducted. They shouted, claped their hands, 
leaped and ran back and forth through the church, 
and had what they called a good meeting. I was 
always opposed to such boisterous meetings. So 
much excitement ! I was so much offened that I 
would not go forward again. The news spread 
rapidly that we were at the altar and many were 
greatly rejoiced over it. When we returned to 
our home after the prayer meeting we found my 
father-in-law there. He had heard of it and came 
out to help us along. In the evening my lather 
passed our house on his way to church with a two 
horse sled load of people, something I never knew 
him to do before. All going to lend us a helping 
hand by their prayers, but only to be disappointed. 
We went to meeting and as we stood on the door 
step before entering church, my wife said to me, 
"Are you going iorward to-night." I said, no. 
She then said, "Then I won't if you don't." I re- 
plied, then see that you don't and we entered the 
church. Preaching over, the pastor came to me 
and said, "Haint you coming forward to-night." I 
replied, no Sir, and he left. In a few moments 
my wife arose and went forward. I was so of- 
fended that I took mv overcoat and hat, and went 



WONDER OF GRACE. 1 5 

home. Soon as services were over my wife in- 
quired for me, but I was gone. Father then told 
her he saw me go out, and he supposed I had gone 
home. She at once thought oi the remark at the 
door, and knew there was something wrong. 
When she came home she found me in bed, and 
in a bad humor. I refused to let her come to bed, 
until she promised me with an oath never to go 
forward again, unless I did so. She promised me 
and all was right, so far as I was concerned. On 
Tuesday evening I again asked her to go to 
church, but she said she did not wish to go, unless 
she dare come forward. But I desired to see 
whether she would keep her promise made to me 
or not, so I insisted on going. But she said, u The 
preacher will come to me and what shall I say to 
him." Tell him I won't let you come. She then 
consented, and we went 'to church. After the 
sermon, Rev. Clair came to me and asked whether 
I was coming forward, and I said, no Sir. He 
then went to my wile, and she told him I would 
not let her come out. He then came to me again, 
and we had it pretty lively for a time. I then told 
him, as he was a single man he might coax her 
out, and then him and her for it, I would have 
nothing more to do with her. But if he left us 
alone we would get along very pleasantly together. 
He then wanted to come out to our house next 
day and have a talk with me. But I forbade him 
the house, and so he said he would not come, and 



1 6 WONDER OF GRACE. 

he did not. O surely, I was under the lead of "the 
roaring lion," or I could not have been so cruel. 
What a mercy that God did not cut me down as a 
"cumberer of the ground," yet I was spared. As 
I said, I was not sincere, nor was I under convic- 
tion. A few days alter the above events the 
Lutherans commenced a meeting in the church of 
which my parents were members. Their pastor, 
at that time, though he invited penitents to the 
altar, was opposed to all manner of excitement or 
noise. This I thought would be the place for me. 
At this meeting without any serious impressions, 
I came forward to the altar of prayer in company 
with my wife and a number of my old associates. 
I at once began to pray most earnestly, and soon 
became deeply convicted. The great deep of my 
heart was broken up, and I felt as did the Psalmist 
when he said, "The pains of death and hell got 
hold upon me." Yes I felt of all men most miserable 
and "mourned like a dove and chattered like a 
swallow." Sinners should not wait, for feeling in 
coming to Christ, but from a sense of duty "seek 
the Lord," and if they do so, God will give the 
feeling heart, the sin-sick soul and the contrite 
spirit. So I found it. I prayed earnestly m my 
way home, and continued to do so until two 
o'clock in the morning, earnestly crying to God 
for mercy and salvrtion, for "there was neither 
sleep to mine eyes, nor slumber to mine eyelids." 
That evening already on my way home from 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



church I felt, "Woe is me if I preach not the 
gospel," and I told my wife 1 must preach. But 
she said, "You cannot preach." I said, I believe 
I can, if they will let me, but I fear they will not — be- 
cause I am not educated for the ministry. I never got 
rid of that feeling, "go preach," until I entered upon 
the active work of the ministry, and I yet believe the 
call to the ministry, should come from above, and that 
it is Divine. In the morning, when I awoke, all con- 
viction had left me. I had no feeling, all was 
dark to me, and my heart was hard as stone. I 
was forward six evenings at the Lutheran meet- 
ing, when I felt that the meeting was not conduc- 
ted to suit me, and I must go to the place where I 
had before opposed. A meeting now began in 
the Evansville Evangelical Church, of which my 
wife's parents were members. It was conducted 
by Revs. Young and Clair. So on Sabbath morn- 
ing we attended preaching in the Lutheran 
Church at 10 o'clock, after which we proceeded 
to the home of her parents. Here we both went 
to church in the evening and both came forward 
again, in company with several others. Now the 
meeting could not be too noisy for me. I felt that 
I must cry mightily to God to save me, or I must 
be lost. Here on the third night my wife was 
happily converted, and the fourth evening con- 
viction again returned to me. The great deep of 
my heart was again broken up, and on the fifth 
night I found peace by believing in Jesus. My 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



darkness was turned into day, and my mourning 
into joy. "O happy day when Jesus washed my 
sins away," and I was enabled to "arise and shine, 
my light having come and the glory of the Lord 
being risen upon me." I shall never forget the 
hour or place where I first felt my sins forgiven. 
I had a hard struggle, being at the altar eleven 
evenings, and doing but little duricig the day, but 
read and pray. The fault was my own. Had I 
trusted in Jesus, he would have saved me sooner, 
for he is a present, willing and all sufficient Savior. 
But perhaps I needed a severe struggle, because 
I had been so wicked. I think some times minis- 
ters make a mistake in conducting their meetings. 
While we should carefully avoid all extreme ex- 
citement and every thing like wild fire and fanati- 
cism, we should not be too fearful of a little ex- 
citement, and noise, or loud praying, and earnest 
crying unto God, on the part of penitents. No 
wonder the sinner should become alarmed and ex- 
cited when he sees and feels his lost and ruined 
condition out of Christ, and should he like blind 
Bartimeous cry loudly, "Thou son of David have 
mercy on me." I will not, like the Pharisees, tell 
him to "hold his peace," because Christ did not, but 
granted him his prayer, though offered in a loud, 
excited boisterous manner. And if saints should 
rejoice and shout aloud at the sinner's conversion 
no marvel, for "There is joy in the presence of the 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 9 

Angels in Heaven over the conversion of one 
sinner," Luke xv. 10. 

This was the trouble at the above mentioned 
Lutheran meeting, or I had never been anything 
but a Lutheran. But here, when we would be- 
come a little interested and earnest in our prayers, 
and cries to God for salvation, then he would stop 
us and make us sit up on the seat, while he would 
read us a great long psalm, or talk to us until all 
would quit praying, and then tell us now to kneel 
down again. No, penitents do not want to be in- 
terrupted in that way, two or three times in an 
evening as we were at that meeting. Hence we 
were obliged, if earnest, to go elsewhere or gi^e 
up seeking. And I doubt if there was one true 
conversion at his meeting, though there were 
twelve of us at the altar at one time. Even at 
that late date, father would have helped me to 
means to prepare for the Lutheran ministry, which 
he would not do in any other church, and the con- 
sequence is I have been crippled all my days, for 
want of preparation for the work. We both uni- 
ted with the Evangelical Association in Evansville 
March, 1858. I then supposed all churches 
were alike, and having found peace there we uni- 
ted there. I at once began to read the long neg- 
lected Bible daily, erected the family altar and 
shaped my matters as much as possible for the 
ministry, though I said nothing about it to any 
one. I superintended the Sabbath school in the 



20 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

Knob school house where I had gone to school 
when a boy, and where I received all my school- 
ing. We had a large and interesting school. But 
now I had a new difficulty to contend with, as my 
father was so much dissatisfied at my not uniting 
with the Lutheran Church, of which he was a 
member, that he would not speak to me, and said 
he would disinherit me. But I continued to visit 
him as before and soon after entering the ministry 
he became fully reconciled, and his threat to 
disinherit me, he never carried out, but was a 
lather to me as before, and would do as much for 
me, and thought as much of me as any of his 
children up to the time of his death. And he fre- 
quently visited me on my different charges. This, 
the first summer after uniting with the church, \ 
worked at my trade until after harvest, when I was 
again employed in my brother's store, in Evans- 
ville. I continued to superintend the Sabbath 
School, and to study, much as possible, to the last 
week in September, when on Tuesday morning I 
stated my case to Rev. E. B. Wilson, pastor in 
charge of the Columbia Circuit and residing in 
Evansville, in the parsonage I, as a mechanic had 
helped to build. I told him I felt called to the 
ministry, and intended to try it in the spring, and 
desired him to tell me what books to get, as I 
wanted to study all I could, and desired him to 
give me such instructions as he thought best. 
All the books I had were a small Bible, and Bible 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 21 

Dictionary. He said I should study well the 
books I had, as I could get no better, but I must 
enter upon the work at once, and assist him on the 
circuit, as the junior preacher, a young man, had 
become discouraged, left the field, went home, and 
he must have assistance. He had written to the 
Elder for help, but he would countermand his let- 
ter at once. I told him I could not preach, but 
must first study and prepare myself for the work 
as best I could. He urged and insisted I must 
now begin. I promised to report to him, in the 
evening, what I would do, and we parted. About 
sundown I started for his house again to report, 
but met him and Sister Wilson coming up street. 
He said, "good evening — and, well what have you 
concluded to do ? " I replied, " I will go along." 
He was greatly rejoiced, and praised God that I 
had concluded to do so. I informed my brother 
that evening of the arrangements I had made, and 
he said, " I think it will not go very well." But I 
went home, informed my wife, and gave myself up 
to the work. But O, how little prepared for.it, 
and how little did I know of its great importance 
and responsibility. On Thursday evening myself 
and wife went to Evansville to hear Brother 
Wilson preach. I took my seat, as usual, among 
the members, but when Brother Wilson came in 
he took me by the arm, and said I must go with 
him into the pulpit. I declined, but he insisted, 
and finally I consented to accompany him, and did 



22 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

so. After the sermon I announced a hymn, and 
made the closing prayer. This was my first time 
in the pulpit, and I did not feel at home there. 
When I entered the pulpit it occasioned consider- 
able surprise in the congregation, as none knew 
that I had the least idea of preaching, but the min- 
ister, my wife, my brother, and my wife's parents. 
But now it was out, u Sure enough, Alonzo 'is 
going to preach," — and this formed the subject of 
conversation for some time in the neighborhood. 

On Friday I accompanied Brother Wilson to 
his appointments. We went to the Whitmire 
school-house, where he preached in the evening. 
I again closed the meeting with hymn and prayer. 
On Saturday we proceeded to White Hall, and 
stopped with Brother David Cox over night. 
Brother Wilson preached in the church Sunday 
morning at 10 o'clock ; he insisted on me preach- 
ing, but I positively refused to do so. I closed the 
meeting as usual, but could not take up courage 
to exhort as he desired me to do. 

Alter dinner we proceeded to the house of 
Brother Mench, about three miles from Jersey 
Town. For years a regular appointment for 
preaching was kept in this house, and here, at 
half-past two in the afternoon, the last Sabbath of 
the month, September 26, 1858, I made my first 
attempt at preaching, from Acts, ninth chapter and 
the latter part of the fourth verse, " Saul, Saul, 
why persecutest thou me ? " As to the merits or 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 23 

demerits of the sermon, I cannot say ; but I re- 
member I was very much scared. And there 
were a a few young people present who were in 
the habit of talking and laughing during the ser- 
vice, which annoyed me very much, as I supposed 
they were talking about and laughing at me. I 
afterwards learned that a " Son oi Belial " (one of 
the boys) present, had cut the ears off of poor 
puss, as she lay asleep, while I preached, which 
occasioned the sport. It is evident that neither 
the boy nor cat were interested in my sermon. 
But the boy was the worst of the two, as the cat 
did no harm, and occasioned no disturbance, while 
the boy did both. After preaching, Brother Wil- 
son informed the congregation that they had lis- 
tened to my first sermon and followed by exhorta- 
tion. There was also a minister of the Reformed 
church present. I do not know his name, nor do 
I know that I ever met him since, who came to 
me after the congregation was dismissed and 
spoke very kindly and encouragingly to me, for 
which I was very thankful. In the evening Wil- 
son preached in the church in Jersey Town. On 
Monday we proceeded to Mordensville, where we 
stopped with William Hutchison, who was married 
to my oldest sister, both long since dead. Their 
only son is now a minister in the Presbyterian 
church in the west. Wilson preached here in the 
school house in the evening. Again he insisted 
on me preaching, but I positivelv refused, but 



24 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

closed the meeting with exhortation, hymn and 
prayer. After meeting I told Brother Wilson, I 
would never refuse to preach again, as I felt con- 
demned for having done so that evening, and I 
never did refuse again. On Tuesday we returned 
home. Thus ended my first trip as a preacher. 
When we came home the friends inquired of 
Brother Wilson as to how the new preacher got 
along, and his reply was, " O, very well ; he 
preached once for me." "And what success did 
he have in preaching ? " " Very good ; only he 
was very much scared," was the reply. During 
the following week I purchased a colt of my fath- 
er-in-law for eighty-five dollars, borrowed a sad- 
dle, bridle and saddle pockets of Brother Wilson, 
and a few books, which constituted my outfit. On 
Saturday afternoon I started on horseback, and 
alone, for my appointments in the northern part of 
the circuit, some twenty miles distant, to me a 
strange country and strange roads. I was to stop 
over night with Brother William Karschner. Wil- 
son said I must preach three times on Sabbath, 
but as the appointments are distant, one sermon 
will do for all of them, consequently I prepared 
but one sermon, as best I could, for the trip. It 
was near sundown when I arrived at Brother 
Karschner's, tired and half home-sick. My colt 
gave out, and I was obliged to walk part of the 
way and lead it. While sitting on the porch 
in the evening, I noticed a few persons enter the 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 2$ 

house and overheard them speak something about 
meeting. I supposed from what they said, that 
there was to be preaching somewhere in the 
neighborhood, and thought I would attend it. I 
inquired of Mother Karschner in reference to the 
meeting, when she said, u Why there is to be 
preaching here in our house, and you are to preach; 
didn't Wilson tell you ? " I replied, " he did not ; 
but it is all right." The congregation gathered, 
and I preached the second time, and my only ser- 
mon. Sunday morning came, and with it my next 
appointment, only three miles distant. All who 
were present in the evening would be in the 
church this morning again, and what shall I 
preach. I was a sick boy when I saw the people 
passing on their way to church, and I must soon 
start in company with the whole Karschner fam- 
ily, and no sermon. What shall I do ? If Wilson 
had but told me. But I knew it was only one of 
his tricks to put me on my guard in the future, so 
as to be u Instant in season — and out of season," 
so I must make the best of it. We soon started, 
and when we arrived at the Salem :Church, now 
quite a town called Unityville, we found a large 
congregation assembled awaiting the arrival of the 
new preacher. When I passed down the aisle I 
felt as if I would sink through the floor. But I 
must do something, and the words of the Samar- 
itan woman seemed impressed upon my mind, 
which served as a text, 6i Lord, help me." Matt. 



26 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

xv. 25, and the Lord did help me on that occasion 
in preaching, as he answered her prayer when she 
thus cried unto him. 

After service I took dinner with brother Rob- 
bins, near the church, and then proceeded to the 
Union Church, four miles distant over as hilly a 
road as there is in the state. I was obliged to walk 
again most of the way, and lead my colt, and con- 
sequently arrived a little late. From here, after 
preaching, I went to Brother James Kile's, and 
preached in the school house on the banks of the 
Fishing Creek in the evening, to a crowded house, 
and then staid with this brother over night. On 
Monday morning I started for home, some twenty 
miles distant, with two mountains to cross. When 
I arrived at home, I was exceedingly tired, and 
considerably discouraged. But Wilson could soon 
set that all right, for he was a good man. He 
could laugh discouragement away, and so present 
the promises of God, as to infuse new courage into 
the faint heart, to go forward in the work of the 
Master. Thus ended my first trip as a minister 
alone, and it was not a bright one. Yet God 
blessed me in my feeble attempts to preach, and 
good was accomplised, for which his name be 
praised. Amen. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 2 J 



CHAPTER III. 

SECOND TRIP AS MINISTER ALONE 

FIRST SERMON AT HOME. END OF THE CONFERENCE YEAR. 
O, THE WONDERS OF DIVINE GRACE. 

On the following Saturday I went to Brother 
Henry Seiberts, in Salem township, staid with 
him over night, and preached in the Moores school- 
house, at ten o'clock, Sabbath morning. Here I 
also was a stranger. During the previous week, I 
had been in the neighborhood, to purchase a buggy. 
I bought a second hand buggy, and hitched my 
colt to it. The colt, had never been in harness 
before, and immediately after leaving the place 
where I had made the purchase, I had a long and 
very steep hill to ascend. When about half way 
up the hill, my colt became discouraged, and 
stopped. It was so completely discouraged, that I 
could neither coax, or drive it out of the spot, 
without using violence,which I would not do. When 
I had been here an hour or more, trying to get the 
colt to go, a man and a boy who were cutting corn 
near by, came to my assistance. But all in vain. 
The colt would not go. The man, a stranger to 
me, then began to catechise me by asking the fol- 
lowing questions ; "Don't it make you mad at the 
colt for not going." I replied no, as it does not 



28 A WONDER OF GRACF. 

know what we want it to do, and it has become 
entirely discouraged. "But don't you think it 
would go, ii you would get right mad at it, and 
scold it." I said, "I think not." "But why don't 
you swear at and whip it, and make it go." I again 
replied, "I do not think, that would make it any 
better." So I unhitched the colt, and left the 
buggy. And it was to my advantage in the end, 
as I afterward purchased another buggy to a better 
advantage. On Sabbath morning this man came 
to preaching, and when the minister entered the 
house he recognized in him at once, the man with 
the stubborn colt. He was a member of the M. E. 
church and a good christian man. After service 
he came to me and in a most pleasant manner 
made appology lor it, and said he had remarked 
to his boy, "That must be a good man, or he 
would not take it so patiently." At half past two 
o'clock I preached in the Summer-hill church. 
Here I was partially acquainted. From here I 
proceeded to Evansville, and stopped with my 
Father-in-law, a class leader for many years in 
this church. I preached in this church in the 
evening. When I arrived here it was near sun 
down, and the people were already wending their 
way to church, to hear the new preacher, who but a 
few months ago had opposed the church, and would 
have blotted it out of existence, if it had been in 
his power to do so. Here the first person I met 
was my wife, at the gate. She had said, she did 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 29 

not wish to be present the first time I attempted to 
preach at Evansville. But when the time came 
she could not stay away. The next, was my 
Brother-in-law, Silas McMichael, married to my 
wife's eldest sister, both long since dead. He had 
come some four miles on foot, to attend church, and 
now felt most deeply for me. He sat on a chair, 
just inside the door, with his elbow on his knee, 
and his head resting in his hand, almost in tears. 
When I came in, he said without looking up — "O, 
brother Dietterich, they will scare you out, tonight. 
They are coming up from the river. Persons, who 
have never been in that church before. The 
church is lull now, and it is not dark yet." I re- 
plied, let them come, they can't scare me now, as I 
have gotten over that. At the proper time we 
proceeded to the church, and found it filled to its 
utmost capacity, and many outside, unable to gain 
admittance. Here I had clerked in the store. 
Here I had been a leader among my associates in 
vice. Here I got my wife. Here I had been con- 
verted and received into church, but about seven 
months previous. Here, I had my school mates 
and acquaintances, brothers and sisters to preach 
to. In short, here I was at home, and it was a 
great undertaking for me to attempt to preach to 
them. I made my way to the pulpit, through 
the crowded aisle, as best I could. The members 
were all present, but all felt most deeply anxious 
ior me and could not look up, fearing lest I should 



30 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

fail, and they go home mortified, on my account. 
I felt calm, trusting in God, to help me. I read 
the 135th Psalm for the evening lesson, gave out a 
hymn, helped to sing it, and we then knelt in 
prayer. When about half through with the prayer, 
I felt the mighty power of God fall upon me ; the 
Baptism of the Holy-Ghost, and I was ready for 
work. I took for my text, John 9:35 "Dost thou 
believe on the Son of God." And it the Lord ever 
"spake through lips of humble clay" he did it that 
night. It was the Lord that preached and not I. 
It was a success. I never preached before or 
since, that it appeared to go as it did that night. 
The friends soon began to look up — God's power 
was manifested in the whole congregation — His 
name glorified and his people built up in their most 
holy faith. Aged sinners trembled — old formalists 
could not understand it — and many of my asso- 
ciates in sin were deeply affected, and a goodly 
number of them became converted during the pro- 
tracted meeting that winter. O the wonders of 
Divine Grace. It was a great mystery to all, how 
a wild and comparatively uneducated young man 
could become converted — and in a few months, 
preach with such power. And to none w^is it a 
greater mystery than to myself. But it was the 
"Lord's doings — and it was marvelous in our eyes." 
Wonderful, indeed ; so it appeared to me ; so 
it appeared to all. 

I continued to preach regularly on the circuit 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 3 1 

until conference, which met in Baltimore, Md., the 
first Thursday in March, but on account of a 
severe cold, I was sick, and unable to attend. We 
had two Quarterly meetings on the circuit after I 
commenced preaching, one in Jerseytown, and the 
other in Evansville. At the last named Quarterly 
conference, in February 1859, I received my first 
license as a preacher, signed by Rev. James Dun- 
lap, P. E. and Rev. E. B. Wilson, preacher in 
charge of Columbia Circuit. Rev. Samuel E. 
Davis, of Luzerne Co., received license at the same 
time. Columbia Circuit was quite a large field at 
that time. We preached at Evansville church, 
Summerhill church, Moores school house, Ebenzer 
church, Witmire's school house, Heimbach's school 
house, near Danville, White Hall church, Menche's 
private house, Church in Jerseytown, Mordensville 
school house, Karschner's private house, Salem 
church, Union church, Robinson school house, 
Wagoner's school house, Richart's school house, 
and Fishing Creek school house; seventeen appoint- 
ments in all, with preaching at each every two 
weeks requiring an immense amount of traveling. 
The Circuit was divided at the lollowing con- 
ference and Columbia and Montour Circuits 
were constituted. At the Union Church, and 
Fishing Creek, we met with considerable opposi- 
tion, from a sect, calling themselves — "The 
Christian Church." They deny the Divinity of 
Christ, and teach Immersion to be the only 



32 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

Scriptural mode of Baptism, and some of them, at 
least, believe Immersion to be a saving ordinance. 
They unchristianize all, who are not immersed. 
Some of them are very bold and insulting. They 
would even dare to rise up in the congregation, 
and contradict other ministers, while preaching. 
The first time I preached through there, some of 
the friends apprised of me of this fact, and said I 
should not be surprised, if they did so for me. I 
simply told them, that they had better not attempt 
it, tor I would have the first one who did attempt 
it, arrested, for disturbing the meeting, and they 
would be obliged to pay their fine. When they 
come to hear me preach they must listen to what 
I have to say, and if I go to hear them, I will do 
the same. And I never had any trouble with 
them, as they knew better than to try it. At 
Fishing Creek, we always had a full house, and 
most excellent singing. The second Sabbath 
evening I preached here, while reading the first 
hymn, two young men came in; one stepped up 
and sat down behind me in the stand. The other 
passed around in iront, came up and sat down on 
the other side of me. Both stood up and sang out 
ot the same book with me. I felt considerably 
alarmed at this boldness on their part, and sup- 
posed them to be ministers of the above denomina- 
tion, and I felt, that I was unprepared to meet 
them. After prayer I turned to one of them and 
shook hands with him, while the congregation 



A WONDER OF GRACE. $$ 

sung a hymn, and asked him to preach for me, 
stating that I had already preached twice that 
day, had traveled quite a distance, and I was 
tired. But he refused. I insisted, but in vain. I 
then told him he must close the meeting for me. 
He refused again. I then said you must do one 
or the other, either preach for me or close the 
meeting with exhortation, hymn and prayer, it you 
wish to remain with me in the stand, or you must 
leave here. He was glad to take his seat in the 
congregation, and while I was talking to him the 
other one had qu'etely slipped down into the con- 
gregation also; so I had the stand to myself again, 
and proceeded with the services. I was after- 
wards informed, that they were two of the worst 
rowdies in the neighborhood, and expected to have 
some sport, sitting behind me, where I could not 
see them, while preaching. But I had nipped it 
in the bud for them, and they never attempted 
anything of the kind again, but behaved them- 
selves like gentlemen, afterwards. 

I preached ninety-seven sermons up to the 
meeting of Conference, and one funeral sermon for 
an aged lady, Mother Harris, at Summerhill. She 
was seventy-five years of age. T do not remember 
the amount of salary received, but the friends at 
Evansville and Summerhill made me a Chrismas 
present of a suit of clothes, which I very much 
need d, and most thankfully received. We held a 
number of meetings during the winter, all of which 



34 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

were attended with more or less success, and a 
goodly number were added to the church, some of 
whom have crossed over to the better land; others 
are yet on their way, while others, no doubt 
returned to the "Flesh Pots of Egypt." One 
neighbouring young man with whom I was well 
acquainted, a sister of mine being married to his 
brother, and with whom I had labored at the altar 
of prayer; but the meeting closed and he gave up 
seeking, before be became converted, came to an 
untimely death, but a few weeks after the meeting 
closed, by being thrown out of a sled backwards, 
while under the influence of liquor. And he died 
without hope. O how terrible, thus to die. Terri- 
ble, for the young man, and how sad for his 
parents and lriends. We now lived in the house 
of James Kocher, my brother-in-law. Here our 
eldest son, James Eugene, now in the Lutheran 
ministry, was born December 4th, 1858. Thus 
closed the Conference year. Truly a remarkable, 
one to me. I had been a member of the church 
but one year, and had preached six months of that 
time, and had been instrumental, in leading a 
goodly number to Christ. Truly "God moves in 
a mysterious way, his wonders to perform" — and — 
"chooses the weak things of this world,to confound 
the mighty." O how great is his salvation. How 
great things it had done for me. "It is by the 
grace of God, I am what I am," and I would 
exclaim with the Psalmist — "Not unto us — not unto 



A WONDER OF GRACE- 



35 



us — O Lord — but unto thy name, be all the glory." 
Some would say "Why he is a self-made man." But 
I say no I am grace made man. Grace made me, 
what I am. Thank God for it. Amen. 




36 A WONDER OF GRACE 



CHAPTER IV. 

APPOINTED BY CONFERENCE TO THE LU- 
ZERNE CIRCUIT, AND WILKESBARRE 
MISSION. 

Brother Wilson presented ray name to con- 
ference, in Baltimore, Md., March 1859, as an 
applicant for work, and I was appointed to the 
Luzerne Circuit, and Wilkesbarre. Mission, with 
Rev. Jacob Hartzler, preacher in charge. We 
now moved into the house of Mr. Tobias Shobert, 
in what was known as -'The powder hole," along 
the Wapwallopen creek, five miles above Berwick. 
This was a very lonely place to live in, but noted 
for its immense water power, and extensive ] ow- 
der mills. We did not at that time have parson- 
ages ready to move into, but must rent our own 
house, as best we could, after being appointed to a 
field and this being so near the first of April, when 
houses are generally all taken up, we were obliged 
to rent, not as we might desire, but as best we 
could, and be glad to get a house at all. Rev. P. 
Wagoner was our Presiding Elder on the district. 
He was an old man, an able preacher in both 
languages and a regular Father among his 
brethern. This Circuit as it now was, embracing 
the mission, required an immense amount of 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 37 

travel. It extended from the Davis church, in 
Beaver Valley, to Ransome Ferry, fifteen miles 
above Wilkesbarre, a distance of about seventy-five 
miles. I started for my appointment up the river 
on Saturday morning, after we moved into our 
home, and got lost on my way, and wandered 
about in the mountains, until four o'clock when I 
arrived at Brother Lewisler's in Wilkesbarre, 
hungry and tired, and my horse was completely 
fagged out, as neither of us had feed or dinner, and 
had been on the road since early in the morning. 
After supper Brother Lewisler kindly took me 
up to Ransome fifteen miles, where I was to 
preach in the evening. We started at five o'clock 
and arrived at seven, driving the fifteen miles in 
two hours and arrived in time for my appointment. 
Sunday morning we returned to Wilkesbarre, 
where I preached in the evening, and on Monday 
returned home, having traveled about eighty 
miles, in making the trip. We preached at Ran- 
some private house, Wilkesbarre, Gruver's 
church, Pike school house, Sagers church, Davis 
church, Mifflin township and Centreville,and during 
the winter took up what now constitutes the 
Wyoming Circuit. Our first Quarterly meeting 
was held in the Gruver church. Up to August, I 
had not been well. I had a severe cough, which 
had reduced me very much. It reduced me from 
one hundred and sixty-five pounds to one hundred 
and thirity'-five pounds in weight. When we came 



38 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

over to our home to attend the Columbia Camp- 
meeting, the friends were surprised to see how I 
had failed, and supposed I was going into con- 
sumption, it being hereditary in my Fathers's 
family. I was advised by Father and others, to 
give up the ministry, or my days w r ould be short. 
I preached once at this camp meeting and it was 
the first time for me. Here on Sabbath morning, 
we had a wonderful display of God's power. 
Father Wagoner preached in the German 
language, the most powerful sermon I ever heard 
him preach, and before he closed his sermon, some 
fifteen or twenty persons were shouting — leaping — 
and praising God with a loud voice, so that — "The 
Joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off." Nehemiah 
xii. 43. His text was Psalm lx. 1-3. From this 
camp we went to our own camp on the Luzerne 
Circuit. At this meeting we had very cold 
weather, and frost every morning, though in 
August. There was frost every month during all 
the summer. I preached at this camp on Monday 
morning at 10 o'clock, with my overcoat on, and 
buttoned up to my neck, because of the cold. In 
the afternoon, I took sick, and was obliged to go 
to the house of Mr. Joseph Hart, a member of the 
M. E. Church, who resided near the camp ground. 
I had a severe attack of the fever, and for some 
time my recovery was considered doubtful. Alter 
a few weeks I became convalescent, and was soon 
able to go home again. I shall never forget the 



A WONDER OF GRACE 39 

kindness of this dear family. The day we went 
home some of our friends from Columbia county 
came over to see us. They insisted on our 
accompanying them to Columbia county, and as I 
was unable to preach, we went with them as far 
as Father Evan's. But the ride was too much for 
me. I was very weak yet, and I took a relapse, 
and was obliged to keep my bed two weeks more, 
after which I fully recovered. My cough left me 
and I was healthy as ever. In the neighborhood of 
of our camp, and where I lay sick, we met with 
considerable opposition from some of the members 
of the old German church, and some of them 
became very much alarmed at my serious illness. 
Not that they cared for me, but they feared, lest 
myself and family should become township charges, 
and were rather anxious that I should die. One 
of them inquired of a neighbor after me in the 
following language, "Is der straveler poff noch net 
ferecked." As if I were but a beast. At this 
camp meeting one ol their old deacons became 
converted. He was quite wealthy, and had a 
large family of grown up children, most of whom 
had been converted previously, and united with 
our church, and some of them had their tents at 
this camp meeting. But he resisted long and 
very strongly. He had said to some of his friends, 
"When you hear of me going to the mourners 
bench, then kill me, the next time you meet me." 
But through the influence of his family, he was 



40 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

brought to the meeting, became deeply convicted, 
yielded to his convictions, came to the altar, and 
was truly converted to God. He was made a 
"New Creature in Christ Jesus" and united with 
the church. He became a faithful, useful and 
most influential member of the same. He had his 
tent regularly at every camp for several years, 
when he died and went home to heaven. I 
remember very distinctly of attending the camp 
on that circuit some }'ears after his conversion, 
when there were four or five tents on the ground 
from his family, including his own. One morning 
after the trumpet had sounded for prayer meeting, 
I went and sat in the altar in front of the 
stand, when he came and sat by my side. His 
children soon began to come to the prayer meet- 
ing, one out of this tent, and another one out of that 
one, when he turned to me with tears in his eyes 
and said, "O Brother Deitterich, I am a happy 
man. I can sit here, and see all my children come 
to the prayer meeting, from every direction and 
they are all in 'The good old way.' " One of his 
sons is a minister and another is a practicing 
physician. We held our first protracted meet- 
ing at the Pike school-house and quite a number 
were converted^ and added to the church. Some 
of them were members of the old church near by, 
which was spiritually dead at that time, and also 
their preacher. They were opposed to anything 
like a change of heart, or spiritual life, and some 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 4 1 

of them, including their minister, were fond of 
stong drink. The Ev. Association now have a 
fine church there. 

At the Sager Church we also had a very suc- 
cessful meeting at the same time the other one was 
in progress, and we would change off every w ek. 
I conducted the meeting at the church for some 
time with from twelve to fourteen at the altar every 
evening. One evening, when I came to the church 
alone, I saw ten or twelve roughs standing a few 
rods from the church, busily engaged in conver- 
sation, while their leader stood at the church door 
with one hand hold of the knob, and his coat 
and hat stripped off, and it was quite cold. I ex- 
pected to have some trouble to get into the church, 
for I saw at once that he and his party were under 
the influence of liquor and he was stationed there 
to keep me out of the church, and they were in 
easy reach, so as to assist him if necessary. But 
I was quite muscular at that time, and could help 
myself, fearing no man, as long as I was in the 
right. So I concluded, if necessary I could chuck 
him over the bank and escape into the church be- 
fore the others could reach me. I steped up to 
him at once and said good evening sir. He replied 
— "good evening — well — I suppose — this is — the 
right — time to jine meetin." He said this in a 
drawling manner. I replied, yes, sir, it is, when he 
said, "Well — I sup— pose — it — is — about the best 
— thing — a young — man — like me — can do." I 



4 2 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

replied if done properly, it is the very best thing 
you can do. He said "Well — and what — do — you 
— charge." I replied, O nothing ; salvation is free 
for all, but it is meeting time, let me in. He then 
picked up his coafand hat, which were lying on the 
ground, and walked off to join his comrades. I en- 
tered the church and began the services. After I 
had commenced preaching, he came in, but con- 
ducted himself pretty well, until after the sermon, 
when be became troublesome, while we were la- 
boring with the penitents at the altar. I suppose 
he had a bottle with him, and while we were on 
our knees at prayer, he would try to get others to 
drink with him. I had never seen the man before 
that evening, but something must be done. So 
after prayer, I looked him right in the face and 
pointing my finger at him, said— that young man, 
there, who has more liquor than brains, had better 
be careful how he conducts himself, if he wishes 
to avoid getting into trouble. But I suppose he 
was born and raised in the back woods, and does 
not know any better. I now inform him,that the laws 
of our country are favorable to any place of religious 
worship, and any one violating these laws is sub- 
ject to a fine of from five to fifty dollars and 
costs, and this must be paid cash, or go to jail. You 
cannot even give bail. Now you have spent your 
money for liquor, and cannot pay your fine, and 
there is nothing to keep you from going to jail, un- 
less you behave. I therefore warn you as a friend 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 43 

to save you from further trouble, for unless you be- 
have, to jail you must go. We then began sing- 
ing, when he arose and left the church, greatly 
alarmed, and as he joined his comrades he said, "I 
just got out of church in time to save going to 
jail again." I was afterwards informed that he 
had been out of jail but a few days and you need 
but say jail to him, and he was off. The following 
week Brother Hartzler came to this meeting and I 
left for the other one, where he had been. This 
young man heard that I was gone, and being un- 
der the influence of liquor came to church again. 
Fortunately that day Hartzler left and I returned, 
and when this young man stepped up into the 
church door and saw me in the pulpit he was afraid 
to venture in, and so remained outside, and it was 
fortunate that he did so, as he had an attack, of 
delerium tremens, as a result of strong drink and 
became desperate before the services in the church 
had closed. He imagined that the snakes, — 
devils and every thing else bad was after him and 
his comrades had a fearful time with him, but fin- 
ally got him home, where he died a most horrid 
death. Surely u The way of the transgressor is 
hard." I often thought what a time we would 
have had, if he had entered the church, and had 
the attack there, which he certainly would have 
done if Hartzler had been there instead of me. 
One sabbath evening the minister of the old church 
which stood near by came in, after I was in the 



44 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

pulpit. He came in and leaving those who came 
with him, slipped into the back seat, behind the 
door, like a little boy. After the sermon, see'.ng 
some of his own members at the altar of prayer, 
crying to God for mercy, he came nearer front and 
sat down, but conducted himself very unbecom- 
ingly, and then left, just in time to escape a com- 
plete lecturing, as 1 was but waiting for the con- 
gregation to stop singing, when I intended to read 
him out. Some of the members of his own church 
came to me and said, I should expose him. They 
said, "You would not allow any one else to act in 
that way, and why suffer a preacher to do so ?" 
He afterwards found it out, and ior a while did all 
against us he could, both in the pulpit and out of it, 
but it recoiled on himself, so he resigned the charge 
and left the country, and I never heard of him 
since. One evening an aged brother came to me 
after I was in the pulpit, just before preaching and 
said, with tears in his eyes : "We will have trouble 
this evening ; there is a man outside of the church, 
who has come to take his daughter, one of the 
penitents, away from the altar, and he will do it, 
for he told me so, and he came for that purpose." 
I replied, you go and tell that man for me, that his 
taking his daughter from the altar will depend 
upon which is the strongest man he or I, for if he 
takes her away, he must take me along, as I will 
defend the penitents, and not allow any of them to 
be disturbed, while in the church. And if he 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 45 

creates any disturbance in the church, I will pros- 
ecute him for disturbing the meeting. If he is dis- 
satisfied with his daughter coming forward, he 
must stop her at home, or outside of the church, 
but must not attempt it in the church. The 
brother went out and told him what I had said. 
The man came in and sat down, well in front. 
He listened very attentively to the sermon, and 
alter preach ng his daughter came forward with 
several others, as usual, passing close by him. As 
she knelt down I took my stand close by her, and 
remained there all evening. He made no attempt 
to disturb her, but conducted himself like a gentle- 
man all evening. The next day he took her home 
from the place where she was employed and kept 
her there. Yet I think it was much better that I 
took the stand I did, than to have allowed him to 
take her Irom the altar, which he certainly would 
have done, and occasioned great disturbance in the 
church. So it caused no disturbance whatever. 

There was a well to do farmer residing about 
three miles up the valley from this church, whom 
we visited occasionally, they were a very nice farri- 
ily, though not members of any church. They had 
three or four grown daughters, who appeared to 
feel their importance and seldom came to church, 
unless they expected a full house, and then their ob- 
ject appeared to be to show off, and hence they were 
in the habit of sitting up well in front, and would 
run out and in during services. I had frequently 



46 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

referred to it in a mild way, but all to no purpose, 
so on sabbath evening during this meeting the 
church was filled to its utmost, and the sisters 
came in and occupied the tront seat to the right of 
the pulnit. During the preaching they sat still, 
but there being quite a number of penitents at the 
altar, I continued the meeting for some time to la- 
bor with them. Soon these sisters jumped up and 
went out. They came in again and sat down. 
In a few moments this act was repeated, until they 
had gone out and came in the fourth time, and I 
said nothing. But when they came in ihe fourth 
time and were seated, I stopped singing, and look- 
ing out over the congregation I said, judging from 
the conduct of some of my congregation this eve- 
ning, there has been a pill pedler in the neighbor- 
hood, and it would appear, that he was successful 
in making sales, and that the pills answer a very 
good purpose, and raising my right hand in that 
direction, I said, "There are some who have been 
necessitated to go out and in four times since I 
closed my sermon this evening; now I advise you, 
who have taken the pills, to stay at home un- 
til they have done their work, and ' you who have 
purchased them, but not taken them, don't take 
them until our meeting has^closed." I then began 
to sing. That was the last of their going out and 
in, and strange to say before the meeting closed 
the eldest sister became converted and afterward 
united with the church and became a worthy mem- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 47 

ber of the same, she married a young man a mem- 
ber of the church, and four years after this I at- 
tended their camp meeting and she and her family 
had their tent on the ground, and I went out and 
in with, them, and we were the bestof friends. 
Some times severe measures are necessary, but 
such means as these might not do so well in our 
days. 

Our next special effort was at the Gruvers 
Church. Here quite a number were converted 
and added to the church. At this meeting a num- 
ber of young men from the river attended and 
caused us some trouble by their misconduct, finally 
the brethern took it in hand and had four of them 
arrested and brought before a justice, who fined 
them five dollars each and costs, which taught 
them a lesson, and we had no trouble with them 
afterwards. 

Our last meeting was held in the Mifflin 
Church, about three miles back of Mifflinville. 
This was a hard section of country religiously. 
We had a church here for some twenty years, but 
the membership had dwindled down to one good 
old lady, sister Brown. The old German Church 
was strong here, but was spiritually dead. Their 
old minister, who was quite wealthy, resided in 
the neighborhood, and many of his members were 
fond of strong drink. I was told that the minister 
was an habitual drinker, some said he drank more 
liquor than any man in the township. This was 



48 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

perhaps exaggerated. But I do know, that he fin- 
ally lost all his congregation, and perhaps largely 
through this evil habit. They were desperately 
opposed to our meeting, and because of the wick- 
edness of the people, it was c died Egypt by some, 
and it was frequently remarked, that it would re- 
quire a Moses and Aaron, with their rod, to accompl- 
ish anything there. Hartzler commenced the meet- 
ing and I assisted him. In a few evenings two 
little boys and two little girls came forward as 
seekers of religion. They were all about twelve 
years ot age, and nearly of the same size. Many 
made sport of the little children coming out, but 
in a tew evenings, God was pleased to bless them 
powerfully. All lay on the floor for some time, 
unconscious, and stiff. "There appeared to be no 
more spirit in them." Some of the people mocked, 
others said, "it is all hypocrisy," and came for- 
ward to examine them by taking hold of their hands, 
and limbs, and it was said, some secretly pricked 
them with pins, but all to no purpose. And some 
said, "Why they are dead." Alter some time, 
the)- revived, and came to, shouting and praising 
God with a loud voice. This proved to be the 
"Rod of Moses and Aaron." It had a wonderful 
influence upon the people. They were convinced, 
that it was real; that it was more than human 
power; that it was the power of God, and the work 
broke out all around. Fathers and mothers now 
came forward to the altar, and were truly con- 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 49 

verted to God,and a great awakening took place,but 
we were obliged to close the meeting, before the 
work was fully accomplished, to attend conference. 
When the meeting closed we organized a good 
class, or congregation there. We also attempted 
to hold a meeting in a private house at "Ransume," 
also called " Garners Ferry," there being a ferry 
there to cross the river. At this meeting we had 
no success, as the people were opposed to it, and 
would not attend. So we closed it. 

In this neighborhood the brethern had preach- 
ed in a church of one of the old denominations, 
until they held a protracted meeting in it, and one 
of their members, a good sister, became truly con- 
verted. She became one of those noisy, shout- 
ing chris ians, which was offensive to the church 
authorities, and they closed the church against the 
brethren. When we came on to the circuit, we 
found the appointment in a private house, with 
this good sister and a few other members, and a 
very small congregation. The husband of this 
good sister, though very fond of his wife, was very 
much opposed to her noisy religion, and perse- 
cuted her severely on account of it. To lead her 
astray, if possible, he left the farm, and kept a 
hotel, quite close to this preaching place, and she 
was often severely persecuted by persons stop- 
ping there, many of whom were boatmen, as the 
hotel stood on the bank of the canal. One day as 
she passed the bar-room door with a bucket on her 



50 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

arm, on her way tor water, a number of roughs 
came out and surrounded her in the road and black- 
guarded her about her shouting, etc. Her husband 
stood in the door and looked on silently, and ap- 
peared to enjoy it. Seeing no way of escape, she 
set her bucket on the ground, and preached them 
such a sermon as they had never heard before, and 
she ended in a shout, right in the midst of her per- 
secutors. When done shouting, all her accusers 
had fled, and she took up her bucket and went on 
her way rejoicing. After I had preached there a 
few times, she said to me, U I wish I could invite 
you to stop with us, but I dare not, as my husband 
swears, he will kick the first preacher out of his 
house that comes into it, and I am afraid he would 
dp so." I replied, -"If I. could but see him when 
1 pass by, I could tell whether he would kick me 
out or not." "Well," said she, "you try to see him 
and if you think he will not put you out, then stop 
and you will be welcome by me, if you are not by 
him." I managed to see him as I passed on my 
way home, and I was satisfied from his counte- 
nance, that I would be safe to stop with him, and 
concluded to try it at my next appointment. The 
next time I went up to preach I took my wife with 
me and arrived at the hotel on Sabbath afternoon 
to preach in the evening. I stopped at the hotel 
and he received us very kindly, and his wife was 
very much rejoiced to have her preacher stop with 
her. When I started for preaching I went down 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 5 1 

stairs into the bar-room, which was in the base- 
ment and invited him to accompany me to church. 
He took me to a side and told me privately that 
he could not go, as there were a number of men 
there and he dare not turn them out, nor could he 
leave them there alone and go to meeting. The 
next morning I sent down and invited him up to 
family worship, and he came up. He also asked 
me to pray at the table. When we left, I asked 
him what my bill was. He said not any thing. I 
said, "I will cheerfully pay you, if you make any 
charge." He then said, a You may pay me for the 
oats I fed your horse, if you feel like doing so, but 
I will not take anything for your lodging." I then 
paid him for the oats, but his wife had furnished 
me with the money to do so, and to pay the whole 
bill, if he should charge me, as she supposed he 
would do. From that time I stopped there, when 
ever it suited me to do so. He always made me 
welcome and never charged me a cent afterwards. 
My colleague soon after ventured to stop there 
also, and it became a regular stopping place for 
the preachers, from that time. Four years later I 
was appointed to serve the Wyoming Mission, of 
which that appointment formed a part, and I found 
he had quit keeping hotel, and was regularly at 
church. Though not a professed christian, yet if 
you wished to offend him, you need but speak 
against his wife's Christianity, or her shouting. In 
1888 I learned from an old neighbor of his, a min- 



52 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

ister of the gospel, that this man had become a 
christian, and united with the church, with his wife r 
served God faithfully for about two years, then 
died happy and went home to heaven. 

Oh, what a wonder of divine grace! What 
cannot the grace of God do, if we are but willing 
to submit, and do our part? His wife was then 
yet living, and shouting on her way thither, as 
happy as ever. They now (1888) have a fine 
church, and a good congregation there. Great 
things may come from small beginnings, as in this 
case, and how wonderful the grace of God to save 
such men. Truly it transforms, "The lion into a 
lamb." It is not the righteous, but sinners, Jesus 
came to call. 

There was a fearful explosion this year at the 
powder mills, quite close where we lived, during 
our absence from home, and the boss powder 
maker was terribly burned from head to foot, his 
clothes being so saturated with powder, that,, 
after twenty-eight days of most extreme suffer- 
ing, he died. He was a very kind-hearted, but 
desperately wicked man. He was given to drink,, 
and claimed to be an infidel. ■ He sent for me dur- 
ing his affliction, to pray for him, which I did. He 
then told me, that he had been an infidel, and did 
not believe in a iuture state, in heaven or hell, but 
said he, "I see quite differently now," and he ap- 
peared very anxious about his soul's salvation. I 
visited him and pra}'ed with him at different times, 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 53 

and so did others for whom he sent, and he ap- 
peared to pray for himself with great earnestness, 
but how he died, is hard to tell, as he gave no sure 
evidence of his acceptance with God. This man 
found out, in the last hours, that infidelity might 
do to live by, but that it would not do in the dying 
hour. Like the man — a professed infidel, who was 
on the Niagra river in a small foot boat in com- 
pany with a christian. They were so busily en- 
gaged in argument on the subject of Christianity, 
that forgetting themselves they were caught in the 
rapids, and in danger of going over the falls. Seeing 
their danger and no way of escape, the christian gave 
himself to prayer, but what wa^ his astonishment, 
to see the infidel pray also, and cry most earnestly 
to God to save him. But fortunately they were 
rescued, by persons who were standing on the 
shore. When safe on the shore, the christian asked 
the infidel as to his conduct, and why he prayed. 
His reply was, "Infidelity will do on smooth water, 
but it will not do to go over the Niagra Falls." 
How true, and how many have learned this to their 
sorrow, only when too late. God save us from 
such an end. 

My labors for my first conference year now 
closed, for which I received one hundred and one 
dollars salary out of which I paid fifteen 
dollars house rent, and had myself, wife, one 
child, and horse to maintain. But the charge 
being large, I was obliged to be from home most 



54 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

of the time, and took my family with me. Some 
times we did not see our house for six weeks. 
The friends at Gruver's Church made me a 
present of an over coat. At that time, every 
preacher whether single or married, was required 
to preach two years on probation, on a single man's 
salary, which was considered one hundred dollars. 
At the end of two years, if found worthy, he was 
ordained deacon, and then allowed salary accord- 
to his family, regulated by the following rule. 
"One hundred each for himself and wife, and 
twenty-five dollars for each child, under fourteen 
years of age, and one half as much more for table 
expences, with reasonable traveling expences and 
house rent, if so much be on hand." I now went 
to conference for the first time, which met in the 
Market Street Evangelical Church in Williamsport, 
Lycoming County, Pa., the first Thursday in March 
i860. There I was received as a member of the 
Central Pa. Conference, in a class of nine, one ot 
whom, Rev. Moses Walter, died in a few years, 
two were expelled for immoral conduct, and now, 
1888, but two, as far as I know, are in the active 
work of the ministry, in the Evangelical Associa- 
tion. O what changes have taken place in these 
years. Bishop W. W. Orwig presided at this 
conference. Bishop Long was present part of the 
time. Now, 1891, both long since died, and gone 
to rest. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 55 



'CHAPTER V. 

SECOND YEAR IN THE MINISTRY. APPOINTED 

TO LUZERNE CIRCUIT— ALONE. A 

FEW INCIDENTS, ETC. 

At this Conference the Luzerne Circuit, and 
Wilkesbarre Mission were again separated, as be- 
fore. Wilkesbarre and Ransome, or Garners 
Ferry, being added to the new territory, we had 
taken up before Conference, in Wyoming County, 
and Wyoming Mission and Luzerne Circuits were 
now constituted. I was now appointed to Lu- 
zerne Circuit as preacher in charge, and alone. It 
was unusual to appoint an unordained minister in 
charge, yet it was done occasionally. It was done 
in this case. When I returned home from confer- 
ence, I had forty dollars left of my one hundred 
dollars salary — thirty-two of which I now paid on 
my horse and buggy. The first of April, we 
moved into the house of Mr. Andrew Keen, on the 
turnpike, leading from Berwick to Hazleton, five 
miles from Berwick. Mr. Keen and family, though 
not members of church, proved to be very kind 
neighbors to us. Our first quarterly meeting was 
held in the Mifflin Church, May n, i860. Rev. 
Philip Wagoner, P. E., was present. At this meet- 
ing the unfinished work of our former meeting 



56 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

broke out anew. Wagoner left on Monday, but I 
continued the meeting for some time with good 
success, resulting in a number of conversions. This 
aroused the old persecuting spirit again, and they 
threatened to rotten-egg us, if we did not close 
the meeting, and I saw where one egg, that appar- 
ently was aimed at the pulpit through the window, 
no doubt at me, but missed its mark, struck the 
side of the church, doing no harm, but leaving an 
ugly mark, which could be seen for a long time. 
One evening while the brother who had the care 
of my horse was at church with his family, some 
ungodly person, or persons turned my horse out of 
the stable, stole one of my buggy wheels, and con- 
cealed it in a large wheat field, and it was not 
found until harvest, when the grain was cut. But 
a well to do citizen, who felt disgusted at such con- 
duct, though not a member of any church, fur- 
nished me with a wheel until mine was found, and 
said, if it was not found in due time, he would get 
me a new one. With all opposition we continued 
the meeting until we thought the work was done 
for the time. This spring I made a very narrow 
escape from drowning, while a brother was taking 
me across the river in a foot boat from the Cent- 
erville to the Mifflin appointment, as the water was 
very high and swift. Also once during the winter, 
while crossing at Mifrlinsville on the ice in a sleigh 
at a funeral, the ice broke into cakes behind the 
hindmost sled in the procession, and could not be 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 57 

crossed again. We had a camp-meeting in August 
on the old ground at which Rev. Alex. Longsdorf 
presided. The number of tents was considerably 
increased over the previous year, and there were 
three tents on the ground from the Columbia Cir- 
cuit, there being no camp on that circuit this year. 
The prospects for a good camp were very encour- 
aging, but on Friday afternoon and night, it rained 
most powerfully, and we were almost flooded out. 
On Saturday it cleared up, but the ground was so 
fuli of water, that a large stream flowed through 
the altar under the preachers stand into the creek 
in the rear of the camp ground to the close of the 
meeting. ' The wet and mud operated quite mater- 
ially against the success of the meeting, yet a few 
were converted, and I continued the meeting in the 
church near by, for some time, during which a 
number were added to the church, among whom 
was a practicing physician. I commenced my pro- 
tracted meetings early in the fall. The first one 
was held in a private, but vacant house, owned by 
Brother Santee, near the turnpike. At this meet- 
ing good was accomplished. After I closed my 
meeting a brother of a sister denomination, held a 
meeting in the same house, with some success. 
But by some means, he incurred the ill will of the 
boys, who made up their minds to stop the meet- 
ing, which they finally accomplished. One night 
after meeting, when the people had all returned to 
their homes, these boys broke every window glass 



58 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

and sash, in the lower story of the house. The 
friends nailed the windows shut with boards, and 
continued the meeting. But a few evenings later 
the boys carried the stove out of the house, threw 
it down in the road and broke it to pieces, and they 
were obliged to close the meeting, as it was too 
cold to hold meeting without fire. That brother 
never preached there again, but is now preaching 
in the west. I had no trouble during my meeting. 
I preached in the Pike school house near this ap- 
pointment every two weeks on Sabbath afternoon. 
One Sabbath I noticed an old man present for the 
first time, though I was slightly acquainted with 
him. I preached a very plain, practical sermon 
from the text in 1st John v. 21, "Little children 
keep yourselves from idols." This man had grown 
grey headed in the old church which stood near 
by, and appeared very much interested in the ser- 
mon, and we had a good meeting. After preach- 
ing I sang a chorus, then in common use. It was 
this: 

"Say brother, will you meet me, 
Say brother, will you meet me, 
Say brother, will you meet me, 
On Canaan's happy shore ? " 

By the grace of God, I'll meet you, . 
By the grace of God, I'll meet you, 
By the grace of God, I'll meet you, 
On Canaan's happy shore." 

and closed the meeting. On Monday this old man 
walked two miles to my house, to tell me that he 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 59 

was very much pleased with my sermon, " But, 
said he, " you lied before you was done with your 
meeting." How so? "Why when you sang that 
chorus." No, I did not. "Yes you did, you said, 
By the grace of God, I'll meet you, and you don't 
know whether you will meet or not in Heaven." 
Why if we are christians, we have the promise of 
meeting there without a doubt. "Yes, but you 
don't know whether you are a christian, or not." 
Yes, I do. " No, you can't know that until you 
die." Yes, we can know it now. Job says : " I 
know that my Redeemer liveth," John says, " We 
know that we have passed from death unto life." 
Paul says, " We have received the spirit of adop- 
tion, whereby we cry Abba Father. The spirit it- 
self beareth witness with our spirit, that we are 
the children of God." By this time he was on his 
feet and at the door to leave, and only said, "yes, 
yes, you are only a young man yet, I am an old man 
and know better, good-by," and he left, but never 
came to hear me preach again. What a pity, that 
men should grow gray headed in the church, and 
yet know so little about religion. Paul says, "If 
any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none 
of his," and can a man "have the spirit of Christ," 
or enjoy the "witness of the spirit," and yet not 
know it. Be unconscious of the fact, I think not. 
From this meeting I went from appointment to 
appointment, holding meetings until conference. 
I had 'more or less success at all my meetings, but 



60 A WONDER OF GRACE 

do not remember the number of conversions, and 
I have no record of them. In the fall a brother of 
another denomination held a meeting in a small, 
but very wicked town on account of which it was 
called, "Hell-town." The proper name of the 
place, I think was "Ringtown." The meeting was 
held in a school-house. After the meeting had 
been in progress for some time, he came some 
twenty miles for me to assist him. He said he had 
a good meeting, with bright prospects, and three 
at the altar. I went with him, but to me the pros- 
pects were not so cheering. The congregation 
was small, manifested no interest, and the three 
at the altar were but small children. I preached 
in the evening as best I could, to the few who were 
present, and after preaching invited any who 
wished to become christians, to present themselves 
at the altar of prayer, and thereby make mani- 
fest their desire, and we would pray with and for 
them, and direct them to the " Lamb of God," by 
imparting to them such instructions as their cases 
might require. The three came forward as usual, 
but I saw at once, that there was no seriousness 
on their part. No interest. When I knelt at the 
altar, to instruct and encourage the penitents, I 
discovered that some person or persons, had taken 
the pains to cover the bench quite thick with pep- 
per and salt. The salt, I suppose was intended for 
the sheep and the pepper was evidently intended 
to make them sneeze, and so make things lively, 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 6 1 

and perhaps get into their eyes, and make the tears 
flow more freely. How thoughtful on their part. 
But I wiped it off carefully with my kerchief, so it 
made no disturbance, and but few found it out, and 
the perpetrators, no doubt, were disappointed. 

When we got to the house where we lodged, 
I informed the brother that he might do as he 
thought best, but as for me. I was going home, as 
I could see no good in the meeting, there was no 
sincerity, and he might as well close it. The next 
day I left. He continued the meetings a few eve- 
nings, and then closed, just as I expected, nothing 
being accomplished. I had been at too many 
meetings to be deceived in that way. During this 
year a young man, who had the ministry in view 
and was away at school, preparing himself for the 
work, returned to his parents, who lived on my 
circuit, to spend his vacation. During his vacation 
he made several attempts at preaching, but failed 
every time in his efforts. He attempted to preach 
one Sabbath evening near his home to a large con- 
gregation, but tailed in his effort as usual, and felt 
very much mortified. On Monday he came to me, 
very much discouraged, seeking comfort, and ad- 
vice. He said, " I feel that I am called of God to 
preach the Gospel, and I believe, if God calls a 
man to the ministry he will tell him what to say. 
He need but open his mouth, and God will fill it, 
so he can enter the pulpit — pray — open the 
Bible, and take any verse as a text, his eye may 



62 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

light upon, and preach it, and if he cannot do that 
he is not called of God to the ministry. I have 
tried it several times, and failed every time ; yet I 
cannot doubt my call to the ministry. Now, what 
do you think about it?" I replied, it is just right; 
you ought to fail every time. You remind me of 
two little girls, of whom I read quite recently. 
They were about the same size and age. They 
attended the same school, and were quite similarly 
circumstanced in life. The one was always ready 
to recite her lessons, and could recite them well. 
The other could never recite well. So one eve- 
ning on their way home from school, the one said 
to the other, " How does it come that you can al- 
ways recite your lessons so well, and I can never 
recite mine ? " The other replied, " Do you pray?" 
She said, "No, I never pray." "Well I do, I always 
ask God to help me say my lessons," was the reply. 
"Well," replied the other, "Then I will pray too." 
The next day the little girls went to school as usual. 
The one recited her lessons well, as she always did, 
but the other could not recite hers at all. So in the 
evening, on the way home, she said to her school- 
mate again — " Why could I not recite my lessons 
to-day?" The other inquired, "Did you pray? " 
"Yes, I prayed this time, yet I could not recite." 
" But did you study? " " O no, I prayed this time, 
so I did not study." "Well you must study and 
pray both, then you can recite your lessons," was 
the reply. Now said, I, " God helps them, that 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 6$ 

help themselves," you must study, and pray both, 
and then you can preach. And unless you do that, 
you will, and should fail, every time. He took my 
advice, and became quite an able minister of the 
Gospel. 

A most shocking occurance took place at the 
hotel this winter, two miles out the pike from 
where we lived. The young people from the 
neighborhood, had a large dance, or ball at the 
hotel, and during the evening while dancing, one 
of the dancers, a young lady, with whom I had a 
slight acquaintence, fell forward against her part- 
ner to the floor, apparently dead. She was taken 
up in an unconscious state, and carried into an ad- 
joining room, where she remained in that condi- 
tion for twenty-four hours, when she recovered 
consciousness, but was sick for some time, and fin- 
ally recovered fully. But strange to say, it made 
no interruption in the dance, but it was continued 
all night, with that lady lying in the house in that 
condition, hardly knowing whether she was dead 
or alive. O the terrible effects of sin. How it 
hardens the heart — destroys man's finer feelings, 
and prepares him for every evil work. - 

Here on Good Friday night, I saw a large 
barn burned to the ground, with its contents. The 
work of an incendiary. Ungodly wretch, to com- 
mit such a crime. 

We had a pleasant, and successful year. I 
closed my labors on the Circuit, about the first of 



64 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

March, having preached twenty funeral sermons, 
and three hundred and ninety seven sermons in all, 
on the charge, and married one couple. Among 
the members at the Davis Church, was the David 
Davis family, which was our principal stopping 
place. I baptized the nineteenth child in this fam- 
ily. It was the third child by his second wife. 
This was a very fine christian family, and three of 
his sons are ministers of the Gospel. One of whom 
received his license to preach the same time I did 
mine. For this year's labors I received one hun- 
dred and eleven dollars salary. I paid twenty dol- 
lars house rent, got my buggy repaired, and had 
nothing left. Conference met this spring in Glen 
Rock, York Co., March, 1861. Bishop Joseph 
Long presided. Thus ended my second year on 
the Circuit, and my second year in the ministry. 
Two years being the limit. I went to conference 
knowing that I would be obliged to move. But 
O, where ? None could tell. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 65 



CHAPTER VI. 

CONFERENCE IN GLEN ROCK, YORK CO. 

ORDAINED DEACON. APPOINTED TO 

MONTOUR CIRCUIT. SEVERELY 

TRIED. HARD TIMES. LACK 

OF MEANS, ETC 

At this conference in Glen Kock, I was or- 
dained as Deacon, March nth, 1861. My license 
was signed by Joseph Long, President, Jacob 
Young, Secretary. 

When the committee on "fates" reported, my 
name was read off in connection with Mon- 
tour Circuit, to which I was assigned. Montour 
Circuit had formerly formed a part of the Colum- 
bia Circuit which had heen divided the previous 
year. It lay partly in Montour county ; hence the 
name. I rented a house in Millville, into which 
we moved by wagons. At that time, we did not 
generally find a parsonage, or even a house rented 
for us, but must, in many cases, look out for a 
house for ourselves after conference, which always 
met the first Thursday in March, making it so near 
the first of April, that some times we had diffi- 
culty in getting one at all, and had no choice. So 
I had to do in this case. Take what 1 could get. 
Nor did we find a house full of friends to welcome 



66 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

us on our arrival, with dinner ready, and every 
thing prepared to make us welcome. No, but we 
must prepare things for ourselves, and would find 
but few if any there, except those who went with 
us. Things have changed in this respect, in later 
years, and it is a delightful change. I was severly 
tried at this time. The last words of my wife to 
me, as I bade her good by to go to conference, 
were, "Any place but Montour." And now here 
we must go. I had now preached two years, on 
single salary, had received, but two hundred and 
twelve dollars, for the two years, and was in debt 
when I started, and had a wife, and one child to 
maintain. We had been looking anxiously forward 
to the time when I would be allowed, and receive 
full salary, so as to be able, if possible, to meet 
some of my debts, enlarge my library, which was 
very meager, and purchase some furniture, which 
was so much needed. Up to this time we never 
had a single yard of carpet in the house, and had 
kept house over three years. The time had now 
come when I was entitled to lull salary, but I knew 
all my hopes must be blasted, as Montour would 
be unable to raise more than a single man's salary 
at best. The membership was small and most of 
them quite poor, financially. I should not have 
been sent there. But such is the itineracy. Yet 
I could not wholly blame the conference, or the 
stationing committee, for it, as the P. E., Rev. S. 
W. Seibert, had been but newly elected to that 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 6f 

office, and was a stranger to the circuit, and 
to my circumstances. And the circuit had been 
misrepresentated to the Conference by my pre- 
decessor, a local preacher, who served the charge 
under the Presiding Elder, in consequence of 
the regularly appointed preacher refusing to ac- 
cept the appointment. This man had been to 
conference one year ago and applied for a circuit, 
but was rejected, and now by an exaggerated re- 
port of his work on the circuit, he expected to sail 
into conference, but fortunately failed again, but 
has since been' admitted into the ministry of a sis- 
ter church. But I had to suffer on account of 
his misrepresentations, for if things had been rep- 
resented in their true light, I would not have been 
appointed there by the committee. I knew all 
this, and though my faith was severely tried, yet I 
accepted the appointment, and moved to Millville. 
Our first quarterly meeting was held in the Salem 
Church. S. W. Seibert was present and preached 
to the general satisfaction of all, and we had a 
good meeting. Seibert saw the mistake at once,, 
but said, I should not blame him for it, as he was 
a stranger and had been governed entirely by the 
report presented to the conference. He said I should 
be Jaithful in serving the charge until spring, and 
he would promise me a good field for the next 
year, which promise he fully kept, as will be seen, 
in the proper place in this book. 

Millville is a Quaker town, and Quakers are 
unfriendly to .other churches, and especially to a 



68 A WONDER OF GRACE 

hired ministry, so I could expect but few favors 
from them, my neighbors, and must depend entirely 
upon the membership on the circuit, and they all 
lived quite distant. Yet we did find some very 
kind neighbors in Millville. The membership on 
the charge at that time depended largely on lum- 
bering, and there was comparatively little grain 
raised on the circuit. And what made it still 
worse lor them, and for us, was the war between 
the states which broke out this spring, 1861, caus- 
ing a stagnation in business, and especially in the 
lumber trade. There was no sale for lumber, and 
the friends had no means of making money ; 
scarcely enough to maintain their own families, 
much less to support their minister and his family. 
Produce and grain they did not have, and tor lum- 
ber there was no sale. Here we were some times 
hard pressed for the necessaries of life. Money, I 
received but very little, so little that I was some 
times obliged to borrow even three cents to pay 
the postage on letters I was obliged to send. 

One morning I went to the stable to feed my 
horse. Hay I had none, and I was obliged to give 
him the last bit of grain I had, for his morning 
meal. At the breakfast table my wife said, " The 
flour is all, and I must bake to-morrow, and we 
have no sugar, no coffee, no butter and no molas- 
ses. Every thing is just all, and no money. What 
shall we do." The only reply I could make was, 
and my horse feed is all, I just gave him the last 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 69 

bit I had, and I was obliged to borrow three cents 
the other day to pay the postage on a letter. But 
after breakfast I will start out over the circuit, 
and if I cannot get money, or provisions, I must 
quit preaching, and go to work. I started out, and 
succeeded in getting five hundred pounds of hay, 
and six bushels of oats of one brother, and an or- 
der for fifty pounds of flour, from another one. I 
also succeeded in getting a new subscriber for the 
church paper and he gave me the money for it, 
one dollar. I ordered the paper, but took the dol- 
lar and bought groceries with it, so we had a start 
again. After a while I received a little money, 
and then sent the dollar to pay for the paper. 

June 28th, 1861 our second son was born 
and received the name of Elmer Ellsworth, being 
named after Col. Ellsworth, who was killed about 
this time at Alexandria, in the defence of his coun- 

try- 

In July my wife again informed me that our 
flour was all baked up, and we must have more by 
the beginning of the next week. I said, and how 
shall I get it? The friends have not got it, and I 
have no money to purchase it elsewhere. What 
shall I do! But fortunately on this very Saturday, 
I had a wedding. The only one I had during the 
entire year. For this wedding I received three 
dollars and fifty cents, just in time. Thus the 
Lord will provide. With ihis I purchased three 
bushels of wheat and had fifty cents left for groc- 



70 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

eries. From this to the end of the year we had a 
comfortable living. This year we purchased our 
first coal oil lamp, and the first yard of carpet we 
ever had i'n the house. Considering the excite- 
ment occasioned in the country by the civil war, 
which prevailed, I had a successful year on the 
circuit. We had several very successful meet- 
ings during the fall and winter. One at the Rich- 
art school-house, which resulted in a goodly num- 
ber of conversions. One evening when I came 
to the school-house it was filled, as usual, and a 
number were standing outside, and not far from 
the door lay a medium sized dog howling all kinds 
of murder. After meeting the school teacher, 
who, though not a member of the church, was a 
very fine young man, and kindly acted as sexton, 
warming and lighting up the house, assisted in pre- 
serving order, and took quite an interest in the 
meeting, informed me that there were two young 
ladies present, who had come quite a distance, and 
who made it a business of running to all the night 
gatherings and night meetings, for miles around, 
and were always accompanied by this dog; that he 
would come into the house with them and keep 
up a constant confusion, and the girls appeared to 
delight in it. That night he came in with them, 
and then slipped under the desks, one would give 
him a kick here, and another there, and the dog 
would give a yelp every time which made it very 
annoying. He finally attempted to put him out, 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 7* 

~but the girls would try to hide and protect him. 
He said, "I finally reached under the desk, and 
seized him by the cuff of the neck, and drew him 
from under it, but then he bit me in the arm and 
I was obliged to let loose. I then picked up the 
round leg of a slab bench, which was lying on the 
floor, struck him over the head with it, knocked 
him down, picked him up and threw him out of 
the door, and I think he will not bother us very 
soon again." And he never did, for I was informed 
that he died before the meeting closed that evening. 
Served him right. These two girls had been very 
annoying to all the preachers in that country for 
the past few years, as they would attend all the 
protracted meetings in the country, and when pen- 
itents were invited to the altar, they would be the 
first to come forward, so that the meeting would 
be continued, lest it should close, if none came 
forward, and the outside world called them our 
u stool pigeons." And their character was such, 
that no respectable persons would present them- 
selves at the altar as long as they were there. 
They tried this game on me at my first meeting, 
but it did not go so well with them. Shortly after 
the meeting began they came forward as usual, 
and had been out several evenings, and as long as 
they were there no one else would come forward, 
because they all knew them. So one evening, as 
the two knelt side by side at the altar, before I dis- 
missed the congregation, I addressed them pub- 



72 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

licly, as follows. "Well, here you are again, as 
usual, you have been forward at every meeting in 
all this country for the past three years, and the 
people call you our "stool pigeons," but you make 
very poor ones, as your influence tends to keep 
other people away, and your object in coming for- 
ward is, only to keep up the meeting, but you can 
not come that game over me. Now, if for once 
you are earnest and sincere, then go to work, pray 
earnestly, come out again, and we will do all for 
you we can. But if not earnest and sincere, but 
as you have always been before, do not dare come 
out here again, lest God should strike you dead on 
your knees, and cast you into hell, for making a 
mock of religion in this way, and becoming a 
stumbling block, in" the way of others. You are 
just as near hell while kneeling at the altar in the 
spirit in which you kneel there, as you are at any 
other place. Dare not do it again lest it be the 
last." They never tried it with me again, and what 
became of them I do not know. It was a severe 
measure to adopt, but it was needed, and it an- 
swered the purpose, and their staying away showed 
their insincerity, for I told them if for once they were 
sincere they should continue, and we would do all 
for them we could. 

We also had a good meeting in the Salem 
Church, now Unityville, which commenced with a 
woods meeting. Here at one time we had consid- 
erable trouble with dogs following their masters 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 73 

into church and remaining there, which sometimes 
became very annoying. So one Sabbath, when 
annoyed by these dogs running up and down the 
aisles during preaching, I simply remarked that 
under the old dispensation the price of a dog was 
not allowed to be put into the Lord's treasury, but 
here, said I, we have the animal himself in the 
Lord's house. Is it right? After that the dogs 
were left at home, which was better. 

At the Kiles school-house, on the Fishing 
Creek, we had the most extensive revival ever 
known, in that secton of the country, which continu- 
ed over the holidays. People came for miles over the 
hills and through the woods on foot to the meeting, 
until immense crowds would gather at the school 
house, many of whom could not gain admittance 
into the house. These would then build a large log 
fire a short distance from the school house, to keep 
themselves warm, as it was very cold and in a 
wooded country. I was told, that there would be 
as high as thirty, or forty around this fire, waiting 
until the meeting would close, so they could ac- 
company their friends in the house, to their homes. 
And the house would be densely packed with 
people. The altar was crowded nightly with peni- 
tents, and others were laboring in every part of 
the house, being unable to get to the altar, because 
of its crowded condition. I never could ascertain 
how many were converted at this meeting. The 
order was most excellent, considering the crowded 



74 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

condition of the house, and the many outside who 
could not get in. Those who had formerly been 
the disturbers of the meetings, though they did not 
all become converted, yet instead of disturbing us, 
assisted in keeping order, and as a further evidence 
of their good will, they purchased the goods, and 
had two suits of clothes made for our eldest son, 
ready to put on. One night there was a man pres- 
ent, who had been attending the meeting in com- 
pany with his wife, but who had been a desperately 
wicked man all his days, and was now considerably 
past middle life. He had been in prison, and in 
the penitentiary, in his time, and yet his morals had 
not been greatly improved. This evening he stood 
near the door, and while I was on the other side 
of the house pleading with a man to give his heart 
to Jesus, an old Methodist sister, who had been 
powerlully blessed, spoke to this man's wife, and 
invited her to come to the Savior. He, fearing lest 
she would come, and being opposed to it, rushed 
for her through the altar, where the penitents 
were kneeling, and in doing so, he forcibly threw 
two of the sisters to the floor, who were standing 
near the penitents, singing, and had resisted him 
for some time. I saw it all, and wished I could 
get hold of him, but I could not get to him. Just 
then one of the ' brethren near by, and whose 
mother and wife this man had thrown to the floor, 
sprang forward, caught hold of him, and said, 
"What do you want in there? " "I want to get my 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 75 

wife out," was the reply. The brother replied 
""You must not go in that way, if you want to get 
her out." The man then exclaimed, "If you don't 
let me go you will get into trouble," and at the 
same time seized the brother by the throat, but 
being long in the arms, he broke the man loose, 
taking his collar and necktie along. He seized him 
again, until the third time, and kicked him once, 
when the brother broke him loose again, laid hold 
of him, drew him to the door and threw him head 
long from the door over the porch, and some half 
dozen steps into the road. At this time his wife 
sprang to her feet in the rear of the house and 
called ior out. I saw her and as the congregation 
were singing very lively, I called at the top of my 
voice, "What do you want?" She said, "I want 
out." I then said, "If you want out, the brethren 
will assist you, if not, then sit down and be still." 
But she called again, "I want out." The friends 
then assisted her through the crowd to the door. 
I now called out, "Let us pray," we knelt in prayer 
and I expected the stones to come in through the 
windows, but they did not. And strange to say, 
though all took place at the altar, none of the pen- 
itents found it out until after the meeting was dis- 
missed, and some one told them of it. They had 
been so earnestly engaged in prayer and the con- 
gregation were singing a lively piece of music at 
the time. The man left for his home, and never 
returned to disturb us again, but swore, he would 



76 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

place a keg of powder under the school-house and 
blow it up with all of us in it, if we did not close 
the meeting. The consequence was, that the next 
evening the congregation was very small, as the 
people feared to come. But I knew such a man's 
word was not very reliable, and so continued the 
meeting. I told the congregation, that he could 
not buy puwder enough to blow up the school- 
house, if he wished to do so. They need not fear, 
there is no danger, and they should attend the 
meeting as before. The next evening the house 
was full again as usual, and the meeting continued 
as before. This was the same school-house, refer- 
red to once before in this book, where the twa 
rowdies took their seat behind me in the desk, while 
I was reading the opening hymn, but of whom I 
so soon got rid of, when I insisted on their taking 
part in the services. 

On the last Sabbath before conference I ■ 
preached a funeral sermon for a middle aged man,. 
who died very suddenly near the Richart school- 
house, he had chopped timber in the woods all day 
in company with his brother. He came home in the 
evening, and after supper retired with his family as 
usual. In the night he awoke his wife, and said 
he did not feel well, she then arose and stepped to 
the door and called his brother, who lived just 
across the way, and then made fire in the stove, as it 
was very cold, being in February. While making 
the fire the clock struck three. He asked his wife,. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 77 

"What time is it?" She said, "Three o'clock." 
He never spoke again. When she had completed 
her fire making she went to his bed and to her 
utter surprise she found him dead, even before his 
brother had arrived. "Thus, in the midst of life, 
we are in death." 

During the winter our youngest son Elmer E. 
had a very severe spell of sickness. He had a 
severe attack of cholera-infantum and for two weeks 
his life was despaired of by all ; but in the mercy 
of God he was spared to us, restored to health and 
is now in the ministry of the Lutheran Church. I 
finished my labors on the circuit in February, and 
received eighty seven dollars and fifty two cents 
salary on the circuit, and at conference iorty two 
dollars and forty eight cents out of the treasury, 
making one hundred and thirty dollars for the 
year. Out of this I paid eighteen dollars house 
rent. My youngest brother and his family lived 
with us in the same house part of the year. 

I had now preached three years, and received 
three hundred and forty-two dollars salary for the 
three years. Surely it was poor pay. Perhaps it was 
poor preaching also, yet the people all appeared 
fully satisfied with my services. I preached one 
hundred and ninety one sermons during the year. 
I now left for conference in my own conveyance 
accompanied by my father-in-law, Mr. Geo. Evans 
of Evansville, Columbia Co., Pa. 



7 8 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER VII. 

CONFERENCE IN MILLHEIM. AN EXCITING 
TIME MY FIRST SERMON PREACHED 
BEFORE THE CONFERENCE. AP- 
POINTED TO BUFFALO CIRCUIT, 
UNION COUNTY PA. 

Conference met in Millheim, Centre Co., Pa., 
the first Thursday in March, 1862, with a full at- 
tendance. Here I preached my first sermon be- 
fore the conference, from Isaiah lv. 6, and we had 
a good meeting, though at first I lelt a little ner- 
vous. At this conference we had an exciting time,, 
occasioned by a brother offering a resolution ex- 
pressing our "Sympathy with, and hearty support 
of the government, in crushing the wicked rebel- 
lion, then raging in our once united and happy 
country." The resolution met with most bitter 
opposition from a few of the members, who re- 
fused to entertain it by the conference. But when 
it was left to a vote, whether the conference would 
entertain the resolution or not, it was decided by a 
large majority to entertain it. The resolution was 
written and offered by a democrat, and it was 
seconded by a democrat. But there were a few 
rebel sympathizers present, one from Baltimore,. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 79> 

and flaming speeches were made on both sides. 
It finally carried by a standing or rising vote, and. 
a large majority. Each brother's name being re- 
corded as he voted. But six, if memory serves me 
right, refused to vote at all, but not being excused, 
from voting by the conference, their names were 
recorded as against it. The secular papers made 
a considerable handle of their names, and speeches. 
It occosioned considerable stir in the town, as Mill- 
heim was at that time considerably tainted with 
what were considered rebel sympathizers, and bore 
the name of Charleston, by many. Indeed on my 
way there to conference, I saw a board stuck up 
by the side of the pike with a hand pointing in that 
direction, saying so many miles to Charleston. 
They had pledged themselves the year before, 
that if conference would meet there, they would 
convey the members of conference from the differ- 
ent railroad stations, to Millheim, and back again, 
which was quite a distance, being thirty miles from 
Lewisburg, the nearest railroad station, for many 
of them. I was informed (whether correctly or 
not I cannot tell) that in consequence of the above 
resolution, some of the brethren were obliged to 
get back to the railroad as best they could. I for- 
tunately had my own horse and buggy, and so was 
independent on that score. At this conference I 
was appointed as junior preacher on the Buffalo 
Circuit, in the Buffalo Valley, Union Co., Rev. S.. 
T. Buck, preacher in charge. 



80 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

I returned from conference and we moved by 
wagons, to New Columbia, Union Co., Pa., where 
we had a very pleasant, and comfortable home for 
two years. Here for once the parsonage was 
ready for us to move into. Brother Buck having 
just married that spring, and not yet gone to house 
keeping, or he would have claimed the parsonage, 
being preacher in charge. But now my old horse, 
harness, and stove were worn out, and I was 
obliged to get all new, and I had no money. The 
harness were presented to me, for the old horse I 
got fifteen dollars and purchased another for sev- 
enty dollars. I also bought a new stove, and by 
the time I was fully started on the new field I 
found myself nearly lour hundred dollars in debt. 
But this was the good circuit the Elder S. W. 
Seibert had promised me, and so I found it. The 
war continued, times were good ,and money was 
plenty. 

Brother Buck, and myself labored on this cir- 
cuit together very pleasantly, and with good suc- 
cess. Shortly after we had moved on the charge 
I was sent for to preach a funeral sermon for a 
small child some four or five miles out of the val- 
ley. When I came to the house of mourning, I 
found it full of friends and neighbors. After the 
usual services at the house, they informed me that 
the sermon was to be preached in the old "White 
Deer Church," that it was a union church of the 
Lutheran (General Council) and Reformed denom- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 8 1 

inations, and as some of them were opposed to 
others preaching in it, I should not go into the 
pulpit, but should stand on the floor in front of the 
pulpit, if it made no difference to me. I said, of 
course, I will stand on the floor, and not desecrate 
the pulpit by going into it. So when we entered 
the church, I very sanctimoniously placed my hat 
on the pulpit steps, and stood on the floor to 
preach. But they might have saved themselves 
the trouble of telling me as I would not have en- 
tered the pulpit anyhow, as it was an old fashioned 
church with a gallery and high pulpit like a goblet 
in shape, and the congregation being small no one 
went into the gallary, and hence, I preferred stand- 
ing on the floor. Some time afterwards I attended 
another funeral in the same church, and was again 
requested not to enter the pulpit, but stand on the 
floor. In the fall one of the officials of that church 
attended one of my meetings, and took quite a 
fancy to me. His little daughter took sick and he 
told his family, if she died I must preach the fun- 
eral sermon. The child died, but his friends told 
him, and rightly too, that it would not do to send 
for me, he being an official in another church, but 
he must first send for his own pastor, to preach the 
sermon. That was right, members of church, 
whether official members or not, should first try to 
secure the services of their own pastor at funerals 
and weddings, and when they cannot be had, then 
only send for another minister. But it so happened 



82 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

in this case, that the pastor was at synod, and 
so could not be had, and they sent for me. The 
funeral was on Sabbath morning, and when I 
came to the house, he took me into a separate 
room and said, "I have been informed that you 
preached two funeral sermons in our church, and 
they told you not to go into the pulpit, but stand 
on the floor, is that so." I replied, yes sir, but I 
preferred it. He then said, "To-day I want you 
to go into the pulpit, and after this when you preach 
in that church, you stand where you please. I have 
some say in that church." That day the house 
was full above and below, and for once I ventured 
into the pulpit to preach. But things have greatly 
changed there now, and two new churches have 
taken the place of the old one, and any orthodox 
minister would be cheerfully allowed to enter the 
pulpit, to preach a funeral sermon in either of them. 
We had a camp-meeting in August, but it was 
not a success, and I think it was the last one ever 
held on that circuit. During the camp-meeting I 
was sent for to preach a funeral sermon for an eld- 
erly man who died near the Furnace. He had 
been a drinking man. The sermon was preached 
in the house, which was quite large. While I was 
preaching in one part of it, dinner was being pre- 
pared in the other. The services over, we were 
invited to dinner. I ate at the first table, and while 
the second table were eating I baptized two chil- 
dren in that part of the house in which I had 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 8$ 

preached. When ready to start for the place of 
burial, a gentleman came to me, and said, "There 
is a young lady present who desires to go along to 
the grave yard, and then to the camp-meeting, and 
wishes to know whether she can ride with you, as 
she is unprovided for, and you are alone in your 
buggy." I replied, if she is a respectable lady she 
is welcome to go with me. He assured me she 
was very respectable and brought her to the buggy 
and introduced her to me. She was a sister of the 
first child buried by me at the White Deer Church, 
above referred to. She soon told me she was so 
glad to have a talk with me. She then said she 
had been catechised and confirmed as a member 
of the Reformed Church, already referred to, but 
since the funeral sermon I had preached for her 
little sister she was not happy. ■ That she had 
never been "born again" and felt that she was not 
a christian. "Now" said she, "I would like to be- 
come a christian, but they tell me it is so wrong 
for me to leave the church, and thus fall away from 
the faith. Now, what do you think about it." I 
replied, it was a mistake in your joining the church 
without religion. And it is wrong for you to be a 
member of the church without religion, as the 
church cannot save you without religion, and thus 
to belong to church is but hjpocricy. You should 
yield at once to your convictions and become a 
christian. But you need not leave the church to 
do that, and it will but fit you for membership.. 



$4 A WONDER OF GRACF. 

Stay where you are for the present, but become 
converted and then only are you prepared to 
choose your church home, and if you find you 
cannot get along in the church to which you now 
belong, there certainly is no wrong in joining 
where you can enjoy yourself best. But by all 
means get religion. She took my advice, came to 
the camp that evening, came forward, was con- 
verted, and remained where she was for a while, 
but found very little spiritual food there, and could 
not enjoy herself, left and united with our church- 
and became a most excellent christian lady. To 
put catechisation in the place of regeneration, is a 
mistake, made by many. 

At this funeral I became acquainted with the 
boss of the furnace, who requested me to preach 
in their school-hou c e in the future. I did so, and 
it became an established appointment. In a few 
years the boss became a converted man and united 
with the church, and he became a very useful 
member of the same, as he was a man of means 
and very liberal. He was one of the men 
who started the work in Milton, where they now 
have a good church and congregation. So much 
for one funeral. The Lord be praised. 

At the Salem Church, about three miles from 
Lewisburg, we had an excellent meeting. We 
had labored there together nearly two weeks with- 
out any success. 

On Thursday Buck left for his home on 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 85 

another part of the circuit, and where his appoint- 
ments would be on the following Sabbath. He 
said I should close the meeting on Friday evening, 
fill my appointments on Sabbath, and begin a 
meeting in Hartleton on Sabbath evening and he 
would come to my help on Monday. But on Fri- 
day evening five penitents came to the altar. I 
left for my appointments, but promised to return 
to Salem on Sabbath evening. I filled my ap- 
pointments on Sabbath, assumed the respon- 
sibility of postponing the Hartleton meeting, 
and returned to Salem on Sabbath evening, 
preached to a crowded house, and on invitation 
twenty persons presented themselves at the 
altar of prayer. Buck came to the meeting 
on Monday, approved my course, and the 
meeting finally closed with thirty-five con- 
versions. We also had an extensive re- 
vival at Orwig's Mill, with some conversions at 
the different appointments. At Orwig's Mill, I 
preached a memorial sermon lor a young Mr. 
Snyder. He was a soldier, and was shot at the 
second battle of Fredericksburg, by a sharpshooter. 
He and his brother stood side by side all day in 
the fight. In the evening they were relieved, fell 
back and stacked their guns, to take supper. At 
his request the younger brother started in 
search of water to drink, and when he returned 
with the water he found his brother dead. He 
was standing in camp, supposed out of danger,. 



86 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

engaged in a conversation, when the ball of some 
sharp shooter penetrated his chest just back of his 
right elbow as his arms were hanging by his side, 
and passed through his chest and dropped into his left 
boot, where the ball was found. He threw up his 
arms and exclaimed, "I am shot," fell to the 
ground and died. His father was a local preacher. 
The young man's body was not recovered. I also 
preached a funeral sermon at New Columbia for 
a Mr. Linn, also a soldier, who died at Washing- 
ton, but was sent home by his comrades for buriah 
Thus closed the conference year for which I re- 
ceived two hundred and seventy-five dollars and 
fifty-five cents salary and parsonage free, besides 
many valuable presents, which began to place me 
on better footing financially. Buffalo Valley is a 
most beautiful, and fertile valley, and the people 
are very social, and all treated us very kindly. 
But the year is up, and I must go to conference, 
and what the committee on "Fates," will decide in 
my case, I do not know. They may return me 
another year, or they may send me elsewhere. 
But I would like very much to return for one yeaij 
more. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 87 



CHAPTER VIII. 

CONFERENCE AT YORK, YORK CO., PA. AGAIN 
APPOINTED TO PREACH BEFORE THAT 
BODY. A VISIT TO THE ARMY HOS- 
PITALS. REAPPOINTED TO BUF- 
FALO CIRCUIT. 

This spring 1863 conference met in York, 
York Co., Pa. Bishop W. W. Orwig presiding. 
At this conference I was ordained Elder, with all 
my cla^s, but one, whose ordination was post- 
poned for one year. During this session, the con- 
ference on special invitation visited the Soldiers 
Hospitals, in a body. Here I saw about five hun- 
dred sick and wounded soldiers. Some of them 
appeared to be quite old men, and one poor fellow 
was near his last. I was again appointed to preach 
before the conference, and preached a national 
sermon. How could I do otherwise, seeing so 
many brave men who had laid their lives on their 
country's altar, in her time of need. At this con- 
ference I was reappointed to Buffalo Circuit, as 
preacher in charge, with Rev. F. Kurtz, as junior 
preacher. Brother Kurtz was a young man, and 
it was his first year in the active ministry. He was 
a German, and a very fine young man, and is now 
one of the most able german preachers in that 
church. We got along most pleasantly together, 



88 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

and met with good success on the charge. I at 
first feared we would not be able to render satis- 
faction on this old and good charge, as I was but 
young in the work, and Kurtz was a European,, 
and had been but ten years in this country. It was 
his first year in the ministry, and he must preach 
almost exclusively English. He moved on to the 
circuit, as he had a wife and one child. We went 
to work, did our duty, and God gave success* 
Shortly after brother Kurtz moved on the circuit 
his fine young horse took distemper and died. 
The friends, however, kindly came to his help, 
raised the money and purchased a horse of the 
same age and color of the one he lost, and pre- 
sented it to him. Truly a noble deed. 

In August, the first three years draft came 
off. On the day of the draft, the Lycoming camp- 
meeting began, to which we were both ordered by 
the Elder. I started for the camp in the morning, 
but Brother Kurtz remained at home until the next 
day, so as to know whether he was drafted or not. 
I said, I will find it out soon enough, if I am 
drafted. However, the evening before I left home 
for the camp, I was waited on by our physician, a 
fine man though not a member of any church. 
He said he had been sent to me to ascertain 
■whether I wished to go to the army, or not. He 
said — "I was informed that you desire to go, if so,. 
it is all right. But if you do not desire to go, you 
need but say so, and we will pay your commuta- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 8^ 

tion, three hundred dollars." I replied, I do not de- 
sire to go, but if drafted, I cannot help myself, and 
will be obliged to go, unless help comes from else- 
where. He then said "That is all we wished to 
know. Give yourself no uneasiness about it. If 
you are drafted we will pay your commutation. I 
was sent here by the citizens of our town to tell 
you so." The next day Kurtz came to the camp, 
and sure enough, he was drafted, but I had drawn 
a blank and so need not go. Lycoming county 
had been the home of Brother Kurtz for ten years, 
and he had just moved away from there that spring, 
so during the camp, the friends raised sixty dollars 
for him, and the friends on Buffalo raised the bal- 
ance and paid his commutation, so he could re- 
main on the circuit, which certainly was a most 
generous act on their part. We had no camp- 
meeting on our circuit, for various reasons. After 
harvest I was called on to preach a funeral sermon 
in the New Columbia Church for a small child, 
which had died some distance from there, but was 
brought to this place to be buried. There was a 
very large relationship, and all most desperately 
wicked people. The grandfather of the child 
kept a hotel here in town. I preached as usual on 
such occasions. Shortly after the funeral, the un- 
dertaker, who was a Methodist, said to me — "You 
preachers don't do right when you preach funerals 
for such people." I said, why not. "Why you 
ought to come out and tell them plainly just what 



<)0 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

they are. You don't preach sharp enough to them," 
was his reply. In the fall a daughter of the tavern 
keeper took sick. She was a married woman, 
had a couple of children, and lived here in town. 
She was also desperately wicked, and cursed and 
swore on what proved to be her death bed. She 
told her husband, it" she died he could be sure he 
had one wife in hell. She said she saw the sul- 
phuric flames as she breathed her last. O how fear- 
lul thus to die. I was again sent for, to preach 
the funeral sermon. I thought of the undertaker's 
words — of her profanity and her death bed, and 
her dying language to her husband. I also 
thought of the hotel-keeping father and the wicked 
relationship. They were, "A generation of vip- 
ers" — and what shall I preach ? The congregation 
would be large— and I felt most deeply concerned 
for them, and desired to do my duty, and do them 
good. I finally selected a text in Job xxxiii. 14. 
"God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth 
it not," and prepared a sermon especially for them. 
After a suitable introduction I noticed 

I. What is said of God, in the text ? He 
speaketh once — yea — twice." That is he speaketh 
repeatedly. But how — does he speak to us. 

1. In his written word. 

2. By his preached word 

3. By his Spirit. 

4. By his providences, prosperity, adversity, 
afflictions, sickness, brereavements, death, etc. But 



A WONDER OF GRACE. QI 

II. What does God say to us ? When God 
speaks, he always says something. Now, what 
does he say to us ? He tells us 

i. That we are mortal. ''Dust thou art, and 
to dust thou shalt return." 

2. That we are accountable. "Must all ap- 
pear before the judgment seat of Christ." 2 Cor. 
iii. 10. 

3. That we are sinners, and that "The wages 
of sin is death." 

4. That preperation for death is necessary, 
"Prepare to meet thy God." "Be ye also ready 
^etc." 

5. He tells us how to prepare. 
(1.) By repentance. 

(2.) Faith. 

(3 ) Regeneration, "Must be born again." 

(4.) By a holy life, and so maintain a constant 

readiness or preparedness for the coming of the 

Son of man. 

6. He tells us that by being prepared, we 
shall have everlasting life, pleasures without 
end, etc. 

7. To neglect it, is to be eternally lost. "He 
places life and death, and good and evil before us," 
and tells us, now to choose which we will have, 
and whom we will serve. Thus "God speaks to 
us," that we may be saved. But we notice now, 

III. The solemn charge brought against man, 
'"He perceiveth it not." 



92 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

He heeds it not, as he should, but stands 
in his own light, closes his eyes and stops his ears, 
to the counsels of God, to his own hurt. He is no- 
wiser, no better, by the counsels of God, and the 
dictates of his own conscience. Now said I, is not 
this a fact ? God spake to you, a few weeks ago, 
in the death of a little child. A grand-child. You at- 
tended the funeral, I preached and we buried it. You 
wept over it, and at its grave side, but did you heed 
the call, no, soon as the grave was filled up and your 
tears dried, you returned to your same old evil 
ways, as before. To-day, he speaks to you again. 
" He speaketh once, yea twice." This time he 
comes closer. It is a wife, a mother, a sister, a 
daughter, and I am told the favorite daughter. 
Of the dead I have nothing to say, I leave her in 
the hands of God, knowing that he will do what is 
right. But if you as her parents, have done your 
duty to her, tried to teach her the way of life, and 
bring her up in the way she should go, if you as> 
her parents, have prayed fervently with and for 
her, and set her a christian example, then whether 
she is saved or lost, your skirts are clear. But, if 
you,*as her parents, have failed, or neglected to do 
this, and she is lost, her blood will be required at 
your hands, and thus closed my remarks, when 
we left the church and proceeded to the place ol 
burial. Brother Kurtz, who accompanied me in 
my buggy, turned to me and said, " Brother Diet- 
terich, that was the plainest funeral sermon I ever 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 93 

heard preached in my life." I waked up as one 
out of sleep, and exclaimed in astonishment, why? 
" Because it was," was his only reply. Well, said 
I, did I go too far, or say too much? I wanted to say 
all I dare say, yet not go too far, for I know them, 
they are a generation of vipers, and I wanted to 
reach them, if possible. He said "No, you did not 
say too much, or go too far." In the fall we held 
a protracted meeting here and had an extensive re- 
vival. Some of the most wicked people in town 
were happily converted to God, including a num- 
ber of parents and heads of families, and among 
them the husband of this woman and many of her 
relatives. Many of whom proved faithful, and have 
since gone home to our Father's house above. I 
saw in the church paper a few years after I left the 
charge the obituary of this very husband, and it 
stated that he had lived a Christian and died happy. 
I also saw in the church paper, years later, that, 
the old tavern keeper had quit keeping tavern for 
a number of years, became converted, lived and died 
a Christian, also, all largely due to that funeral ser- 
mon so plainly preached. Truth is mighty and 
will prevail, but sometimes we enwrap it so closely 
in smooth language so that the sharp edge of it is 
covered up, or in such a round about way, for fear of 
hurting the feelings of the people, and lest we should 
give offence, that it loses its power to save. In 
this way "the trumpet often gives an uncertain 
sound." One evening during the meeting, while I 



94 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

was preaching to a full house, a stranger entered 
the church, came down the aisle and up the pulpit- 
steps to my side. I stopped preaching and turned 
to him, when he handed me a telegram informing^ 
me of the death of my sister, Mrs. M. A. Bower, of 
Columbia county, and said, "you must take the 
eleven o'clock train to-night to reach the funeral in 
time." When he left the pulpit, I read the tele- 
gram to the congregation and stated the interview 
I had with her a few weeks previous, when I visited 
her for the last time during her sickness. When I 
bade her good-bye, I knew it would be the last 
time, and so did she. But she said — "If we never 
see each other in this world again, we will meet 
again in Heaven." These were her last words to 
me. It made quite an impression on the congre- 
gation, and when I invited penitents to the altar, a. 
goodly number came forward. I then left the meet- 
ing in the care of the brethren, went home, inform- 
ed my family of her death, and one of the brethren 
kindly conveyed me two miles to Milton, our near- 
est railroad station. There I was obliged to wait 
until one o'clock, the train being two hours late on 
account of frosty and broken rails, the night being 
extremely cold and frosty. 

I then went to Rupert station, and there being 
no train on the L. and B. railroad, I walked to 
BJoomsburg, three miles, and at four o'clock in the 
morning I stood knocking at the front door of Rev. 
George Rishel's house for admittance. He kindly 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 95 

took me in, gave me breakfast and then conveyed 
me in his carriage seven miles to the funeral. Rev. 
Truckenmiller preached the sermon. I remained 
over night and preached for him in the evening, in 
the Centre Church, my old home and the church 
of my parents, where he had a protracted meeting 
in progress at the time. 

After preaching eight penitents presented 
themselves at the altar ol prayer, where some years 
before, I had knelt as a seeker of religion. The 
next day I returned home and continued my meet- 
ing a few more evenings, and closed it on Sabbath 
evening with communion. I had undertaken too 
much for the evening. I preached here on Satur- 
day evening. Sunday morning, I drove twelve 
miles to Elinsport and preached at ten o'clock. I 
then preached a funeral sermon for a child, about 
two miles above town, at one o'clock, drove six 
miles to Weistown, preached there at three o'clock, 
then back home to this meeting in the evening. I 
had thus driven twenty-tight miles, and this was 
my fourth service for the day. Here I first bap- 
tized several infants and adults, which required the 
use of both ceremonies. I then admitted a goodly 
number of new members, after which I preached 
the communion sermon. The house was densely 
packed with people, aisles and all, and the communi- 
cants were many, filling table full after table full, 
and as I served one table after another, all alone, 
and dismissed them, I unfortunately dismissed one 



^6 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

table without giving them the wine, giving them 
bread only. I felt very sorry for the mistake, when 
informed of it, but it was too late to remedy it. I 
have never administered the communion alone 
since, but I think of it, and sometimes tremble for 
fear it should occur again. But it never has up to 
this time. My meeting closed with some thirty 
conversions and accessions. 

This was the most successful meeting we had 
on the charge that winter. We held a meeting at 
the Salem Church just before conference, but with- 
out much success. At this church we had a good 
membership. One family with whom we frequently 
stopped, near the church, was a family by the name 
of Dunkel. Brother Dunkel was a good Christian 
man, well to do in the world and had a fine home, 
but was not a member of our church. His wife 
was a member, and was perhaps overanxious that 
he should unite with us, and so were all the mem- 
bership. For years the wife, preachers and mem- 
bers had been trying to persuade him to unite. 
He was with us, and of us, the same as a member, 
yet was not a member. They had been at him so 
much to unite with us, that he had become tired of 
it and almost disgusted with them. His wife spoke 
to him about it once in my presence and I saw at 
once that it rather displeased him. I shook my head 
at her and simply remarked, It will all be right yet, 
and the subject was dropped for the time. I then 
told her privately to say no more to him about 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 97 

it, but leave it in my hands, and she did so. I had 
never said anything to him on the subject until our 
meeting was about to close. Next to the last night 
of the meeting I staid there over night. In the 
morning before breakfast I was sitting in the par- 
lor alone, when he came in and sat down. When 
he had been in but a few minutes, I laid my hand 
on his knee, as I sat by his side, looked him right 
in the face and said, Brother Dunkel, we have been 
trying to do something for the church here by way 
of conversions, but we have met with but little suc- 
cess, so I thought I would see what 1 could do this 
morning by way of proselyting — and paused, still 
looking him in the face, and smiled. He made no 
reply. I then said, now dear brother, the door is 
open for you, you would greatly rejoice the heart 
of your wife, my heart, and the hearts of all our 
membership," by stepping in, and I believe you 
would feel more at home with us by doing so. 
What do you say ? will you unite with us or not ? 
I know you have been very much annoyed by your 
wife and others on this subject, so much so that 
you have gotten tired of it, but you know this is 
the first time I have spoken to you on the subject, 
and I have been here almost two years. I should 
be glad to have you unite with us this evening, 
when there are a few others to be taken in. But 
it is for you to say. What will you do ? He re- 
plied, "All right, I will do so." I then asked him, 
whether he would come out and unite publicly or 



98 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

privately. He said, "I will unite publicly," which 
pleased me very much, and when he came out with 
a few others in the evening and was publicly taken 
in, the congregation was greatly surprised, and 
greatly rejoiced. When the congregation was dis- 
missed, all crowded around us, and shook hands 
with him, as if he had been a stranger, and many 
said to me, "Why how does this come ? You have 
done what the preachers and all have been trying 
to do for years, but could not." That was the trou- 
ble. They had been at him all the time, and he 
became tired of it. I had not, and hence my suc- 
cess. We closed our work at conference time, 
having had a most pleasant and successful year. 
We had a number of very valuable accessions, and 
the circuit was in better condition than it had been 
for many years, pronounced so by the older mem- 
bers. We had greatly increased all our benevolent 
contributions, received full salary, table and trav- 
eling expenses, and valuable donations, besides as- 
sist, ng Kurtz in paying his commutation, and get- 
ting him a horse in place of the one that had died. 
Surely the friends did well for us. I preacned in 
the two years four hundred and seventeen sermons, 
in all, on the circuit. Married nine couples and 
preached a number of funeral sermons. This cir- 
cuit I liked the best of an)/ I ever travelled, while 
in the itinerancy. We liked the home in New Col- 
umbia, the neighbors, the country and the people 
over the entire charge. They all treated us very 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 



99 



kindly, made us a liberal donation on New Year's 
day, and by their liberality I was enabled to free 
myself entirely from debt, and when we left the 
circuit I could say, I "owe no man anything," but 
love, and had one hundred dollars left to move on. 
Surely we did well. "We thanked God and took 
courage." Our eldest daughter was born here, 
September ioth, 1863, and received the name of 
Laura Bernetta. Thus ended my two years labor 
on the Buffallo Circuit, March, 1864, and now for 
conference, and as my time is expired on this cir- 
cuit, I will be obliged to move this spring. But, O 
where? Echo answers, where? 



IOO A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER IX. 

CONFERENCE IN LEWISBURG, UNION COUNTY. 
APPOINTED TO WYOMING MISSION. 
FIRST MOVE ON THE CARS. EX- 
CITED STATE OF THE 
COUNTRY, ETC. 
Conference met in Lewisburg, Union county, 
March, 1864. Arrived at conference, and while in 
conversation with Rev. S. W. Seibert, our presid- 
ing elder, he said to me, "well where do you want 
to go to now." I replied, anyplace, but Wyoming 
Mission. 

During conference I was called home to 
preach a funeral sermon for a child of Brother 
Bastian, which died from vaccination. The vac- 
cination ran into erysipelas and caused its death. 
During my absence from conference Brother Seib- 
ert resigned his office as Presiding Eldtr, and Rev. 
Simon Wolf was elected as his successor. When 
the Bishop read the appointments, I was surprised 
to hear, "Wyoming Mission," H. A. Dietterich. 
Yet so it was. It was a bitter pill for me at first. 
Like Montour Circuit in 1861, just the place where 
I did not want to go. I told Seibert so, but he 
only laughed and said "it will all be right in the 
end," and so it was. But some time afterward I 



A WONDER OF GRACE. IO t 



had the chance of rubbing this in on Seibert, and 
did so. Some years after this he got up in confer- 
ence and said, he desired a circuit, but not farther 
north than Perry county. He was living in Perry 
county at the time. When the appointments were 
read off, he was sitting in front of the pulpit by the 
writing table, and what was his surprise to hear 
"Lock Haven, S. W. Seibert." His head dropped 
and I ihink tears filled his eyes. I now stepped 
up to him, and patting him on the shoulder, said, 
"Brother Seibert, it will be all right. Remember 
Wyoming." And I think it was ail right in the 
end, at least I found it so on Wyoming Mission, 
and I think he did in Lock Haven. Wyoming 
Mission embraced the upper or northern part of 
Luzerne and the southern or lower end of Wyoming 
county. We moved to Newton Center, Luzerne 
county. 

This was our first move on the cars, and they 
played havoc with our goods. They broke our 
table, and among other things the applebutter 
crocks, which were all filled, and we found a sorry 
mess, when we unpacked our goods. On our way 
to Wyoming we stopped in Columbia county to 
visit our parents, who were all living at that time. 
Here our babe took quite sick and we were de- 
tained two weeks on account of it. Then, too, at 
this time every thing was excitement up at Wyom- 
ing, Pittston, Kingston, Wilkesbarre and Scranton, 
on account of the spotted fever, which prevailed 



102 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

to an alarming extent in that country at that time, 
closing all the schools, and stopping, to a great 
extent, all manner of business and traffic. Many 
people fled from the country on account of it. 
Father and others advised me not to go up, but 
order my goods back again until the fever subsided 
tor if I went, I did so at the risk of my life. But 
when my appointments fell due I felt like meeting 
them. So I mounted my sulky and drove up and 
preached on the new field. I found the fever had 
abated to some extent, though many had died from 
it. One family consisting of the two parents and 
seven children, nine in all, had all died in one 
week, except the father. On Monday I returned 
for my family and we arrived on the circuit on 
Friday evening, and stayed with a family of mem- 
bers over night. On Saturday morning they took 
us to the parsonage, but instead ot finding the 
house full of friendly faces, as is now generally the 
case, to greet, and welcome "The new preacher," 
we were taken to the house, set down there, and 
no one came near to inquire whether we needed 
any assistance, or had anything to eat or not, but 
we were left alone, as strangers in a strange land, 
to help ourselves as best we could. Surely a cool 
reception. We found our goods in the house, but, 
as already said, in a sorry condition. On my re- 
turn with my family, I learned that during that 
week two had died in that immediate neighbor- 
hood, and that there were several new cases of the 



A WONDER OF GRACE. IO3 

fever. It was terribly severe, but few who took 
it recovered, and in most cases the patient did 
not live more than from six to eight hours, and all 
were buried without funerals, similar fo smallpox 
cases. Wyoming Mission was the field Rev. J. 
Hartzler and myself had taken up during the first 
year of my ministry. But we found a wonderful 
state of affairs in that country now, on account of 
the war which continued to rage at that time. 
The people, as a general thing, were not in sym- 
pathy with the administration in putting down the 
rebellion, consequently the country was full of de- 
serters and none reporting drafted men. These 
generally kept concealed in the woods during the 
day, and at night were harbored by the citizens. 
At one time the government was obliged to send 
troops there to enforce the enrollment, as the citi- 
zens refused to be enrolled, and made most terrible 
threats, as to what they would do. But when the 
soldiers came, though but a part of the Invalid 
Corps, they quietly submitted to be enrolled, but 
when drafted, they did not report. Consequently 
the martial from Scranton, eleven miles distant, o- 
his deputy, was out constantly at night, hunring 
these men, as well as the deserters harbored by 
them. The deputy martial and one of his assist- 
ants were shot and killed, about one mile from our 
house, by deserters, while attempting to arrest 
them. To show the feeling existing in that 
country at that time, I might say that a reward of 



104 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

three thousand dollars, was offered for the arrest 
of the deserter who shot the deputy, and yet he 
was never arrested. He could not be found by 
the authorities, and many of the citizens thought 
he had done a noble deed, and gloried in his pluck. 
And I do not think he ever left the neighborhood, 
as I saw him at different times. But his friends 
kept him effectually concealed from the authorities. 
Thieving prevailed to an alarming extent by 
these men, and others I presume stole on the cre- 
dit of these men. A man was not safe to be out 
after night, unless he was well known, as he was 
in danger of being shot by these men, as an officer, 
or by the officers, as a deserter. A solder in com- 
pany with an officer did shoot an innocent man in 
this way, and killed him, not far from our place, 
shortly after the deputy had been shot, and while 
in search of the deserter, who shot him. I, how- 
ever, fared very well, as I took no part whatever 
in political matters, and did not even attend any of 
the elections. With the democrats I could not 
vote at that time, and to vote with the other party, 
according to my views, would have impaired my 
influence for good among that people. Some- 
times I would catch it from one party and then 
from the other, each accused me of belonging to 
the opposite party, as I said nothing on either side. 
But upon the whole I was respected for it by the 
majority of the people and received the support of 
all. Dr. Hand, our family physician and myself 



A WONDER OF GRACE. IO5 

rented a field of eight acres, for thirty-five dollars, 
and planted it with corn, from which we realized 
a good profit. Corn was two dollars per bushel, 
hay forty-five dollars per ton, flour fifteen dollars 
per barrel, dressed pork eighteen to twenty dollars 
per hundred pounds. I paid fifty-four dollars for 
a fat hog at eighteen dollars per hundred, dressed. 
Lard was twenty-eight cents per pound, and every 
thing in proportion. I paid twenty-two dollars for 
a web of muslin, at fifty-five cents per yard. But 
money was plenty, and the friends were very kind 
and liberal toward us. They made us a donation 
each year, amounting to over two hundred dollars 
each, besides many presents. The donations were 
conducted on this wise : It was publicly announc- 
ed, that on such a day and evening a donation 
would be made for the benefit of Rev. H. A. Diet- 
terich and family, in the public house in Newton 
Centre, and all were most cordially invited to at- 
tend. The hotel was then rented for the after- 
noon and evening at a certain price, the bar to be 
closed, and no drinks to be sold, or given away. 
In the afternoon the Jriends would come laden 
with provisions ready for the table. About sun- 
down the table was set, and supper served. In 
the evening the people, old and young, would flock 
in by the sled load, and table full after table full 
would be served, until midnight. Some perhaps 
would eat three or four times during the evening. 
While at the table they were waited on by a com- 



I06 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

mittee, each having a book, when every one at the 
table would write in the book and pay any sum 
they felt like giving for their supper, or for the 
preacher. Some gave as much as five dollars. 
One young man, with whom I was well acquainted, 
though not a member of any church, ate three 
times in one evening, having a young lady with 
him each time, and gave seven dollars for the 
evening. One elderly man, an Englishman who 
ran the grist mill at a small town, two or three 
miles distant, with whom I had no acquaintance, 
came up to the donation with his wife. They both 
took supper, and he gave them five dollars. He 
then desired to see the preacher for whom the do- 
nation was made, he was shown up stairs into the 
room where I was sitting. He came in, reached 
me his hand and said, "Mr. Dietterich, I respect 
you as a preacher of the gospel, and not as a poli- 
tician; our minister is a politician, and I did not 
give him a cent, but I came up here this evening, 
and brought my wife with me, we both took sup- 
per, and I gave them five dollars, and here are 
three dollars more for you. I respect you as a 
minister of the gospel, good night." I thanked 
him kindly for it and he left. I received the larg- 
est donations of any minister in that country, not 
withstanding it was only a mission and our mem- 
bership was small and poor financially but it was 
because I left politics to politicians, and so was re- 
spected and supported by all parties. The even- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 107 

ing was spent in social chat and innocent sport by 
old and young, and a general good time was had. 
In this way the provisions would be nearly all con- 
sumed, and the money was given to me amount- 
ing to over two hundred dollars each year. There 
I sold my horse at an advance of forty-eight dol- 
lars and bought another one for one hundred and 
forty dollars, drove it six months and sold it for 
two hundred dollars, an advance of sixty dollars, 
and bought another for one hundred and fifty dol- 
lars, which I drove several years and sold for one 
hundred and sixty-four dollars. Here our second 
daughter, Carrie S., was born, April 16th, 1865. 
Notwithstanding the excited condition ol the 
country, I had good success on the mission. So 
much so, that it was constituted a circuit and became 
self-supporting the spring I left, and continued so. 
During the last year of our stay here the war 
closed, and many of the people attributed the clos- 
ing of the war to the assasination of president A. 
Lincoln, by J. Wilkes Booth. They said, "Booth 
stopped the war by shooting Lincoln," and gave 
him the praise, thus manifesting the same spirit 
they did during the war. Yet upon the whole I 
liked the mission and people very well. We had 
interesting camp-meetings both years, near the 
Square-top school house. At this school house I 
had an interesting meeting the second winter, 
with a number of conversions. This place, and 
a small village near by was noted for its skepticism, 



Io8 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

but the mighty power of God shook their sandy 
foundation, and some of their leaders were power- 
fully converted to God by saving grace. 

The evening I commenced my meeting, it 
snowed, blowed, and was fearfully cold. I preach- 
ed as best I could to the few (less than two dozen) 
present, but all appeared cold and dead, and when 
I pronounced the benediction, I thought to myself, 
it is an entire failure to begin with. But I had 
hardly said Amen, when an elderly woman present 
sprang to her feet in the rear of the school house 
and in a very excited manner cried out, a Oh pray 
for me, I am so wicked, O what a mother I have 
been to my children, I have seven sons, most 
all of them grown up to manhood, and I never 
prayed for them. O pray for me, lest we all be 
lost." She continued in this strain for some time, 
when after prayer and a few words of instruction 
and comfort, all went home. The next evening 
she came forward as a seeker of religion, and her 
sons soon followed. But the husband would not 
come to the meeting at all, yet in spite of himself 
he became most deeply convicted at his home and 
and was driven almost to distraction ; but rather 
than yield to his convictions and give up his skep- 
ticism, he resolved to commit suicide, and attempt- 
ed it twice, but was fortunately rescued both times, 
while in the act, by his sons. He finally became 
so wretched that he sent for me at midnight to 
come and pray for him, which I did. The next 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 09 

evening he came to our meeting, and gave himself 
to the Lord in earnest prayer until he obtained 
peace by believing in Jesus. Thus the whole fam- 
ily were powerfully converted to God. O what a 
change in the family, where before had been curs- 
ing and swearing, now was prayer and praise. 
Amazing grace ! On Sabbath afternoon I preach- 
ed to a full house from Psalm cxlv. 20 — "The Lord 
preserveth all them that love him, but all the wicked 
will he destroy." I tried to show, that if man 
perished forever, it was his own fault, and not the 
Lord's. It was not because God had decreed his 
destruction, but because he refused to love God. 
In other words, hated God, and hence his destruc- 
tion. Love the Lord, and he will preserve you. 
Love him not, and he will destroy you, hence you 
hold your salvation, your life, or death, in your own 
hands, and if you are destroyed, the fault is entirely 
your own. "The Lord preserveth all them that 
love him, but all the wicked will he destroy." 
After the sermon a man came to me and asked 
permission to make a few remarks before I dismiss- 
ed the congregation. He was a married man and 
the village blacksmith, but a stranger to me. I 
asked him as to the nature of his remarks, and 
when he intormed me I granted him his request. 
He then stepped in front of the desk and facing the 
whole congregation said, "I have always been a 
skeptic and made light of religion, and religious 
people. I have spent my Sundays fishing or hunt- 



HO A WONDER OF GRACE. 

ing, and did not go to church, but I heard so much 
about this meeting, that I concluded to go to church 
to-day and see and hear for myself, hence I am 
here, and the sermon has fully convinced me of my 
error, and I want to renounce it thus publicly. I 
intend now to become a christian man, and I want 
you all to pray for me." All this was spoken with 
deepest feeling. That evening he came to church 
again, presented himself at the altar as a pentinent 
and was truly converted to God, and united with 
the church. I inquired after him some years later 
and was informed that he was at that time, an offi- 
cial member of the church. How great the salva- 
tion of our God in saving sinners ! On this mission 
I preached exclusively in school houses, except at 
Garner's Ferry, where I preached in a private 
house, but now they have a church and parsonage 
there, and churches have been built in different 
places throughout that country. I finished up my 
two year's labor on the mission, having preached 
three hundred and ninety-one sermons, and mar- 
ried eight couples. Two years being the limit, I 
knew I would be obliged to move, and to move 
down the river, there being no other field of labor 
in all that section of country at that time, though 
now there are quite a number of them, all the out- 
growth of that mission. So I drove to Columbia 
County with horse and sulky on my way to Con- 
ference. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. Ill 



CHAPTER X. 

CONFERENCE IN BALTIMORE. APPOINTED TO 
GETTYSBURG CIRCUIT. A LONG AND TED- 
IOUS MOVE. MOTHER'S DEATH. IM- 
PORTANT CONVERSIONS, ETC. 



Leaving my horse with father-in-law, I took 
the train for Baltimore, Md., where conference 
met in March, 1866. At this conference I was ap- 
pointed to Bendersville, Adams County. The cir- 
cuit was called Gettysburg Circuit, but why, I do 
not know, as we did not preach within ten miles of 
Gettysburg. It is now very appropriately called 
Bendersville Circuit. 

Rev. J. M. Young was Presiding Elder on the 
district. He was a very fine christian gentleman. 
This made us a move of one hundred and seventy- 
five miles. I returned from conference to Wyom- 
ing, and we shipped our goods to Carlisle, Cumber- 
land County, by rail and from there to Benders- 
ville, eighteen miles, they were hauled on wagons. 
My family then accompanied me by rail to father- 
in-law's in Evansville, Columbia County, where 
they remained, while I mounted the sulky again, 
and drove down to the new field of labor. On my 
way I took sick with dysentary, and it was with 



112 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

difficulty that I proceeded on my journey. The 
first day I drove to Port Treverton, Perry County. 
The second to Newport, in the same county, and 
the third day to near Mount Holley, Cumberland 
County. The fourth day, about noon I arrived on 
the field and stopped at the house of an old class 
leader, to whom I had been directed by my pred- 
ecessor. It was rainy, muddy, and I was sick, 
tired and very much discouraged, the country and 
all being entirely new and strange to me 

Then too, unfortunately for me, this man was 
one of tho>e growling fault-finders, who always 
look on the dark side of things, and never see any 
thing good or cheering, and by the time he had 
told me his tale ot woe, I was completely discour- 
aged. He could not see why conference had sent 
me on that circuit to starve. He said, my prede- 
cessor had no family, but himself and wife, and 
they could hardly live there. That everything 
had gone down on the circuit during his stay 
among them, and I had a family of wife and four 
children, and we certainly could not live on that 
circuit. In short, everything was wrong, accord- 
ing to his story. I shall never forgetthat wretched 
old class-leader. It is a pity that such men should 
be elected to any office in any church, and he never 
was elected to any office again, whi e I was there, 
though he tried hard for it. The next morning, 
being Saturday morning, I proceeded to within 
one mile of Bendersville, and stopped with Brother 



A WONDER OF GRACE. I 1 3 

Daniel Peters, where I remained over night. 
Brother Peters was from home and did not return 
until evening, and as I sat in his parlor alone part 
of the time, thinking of the new field as represented 
to me by one of the officials, and the rain continued 
to pour down, I made up my mind fully, that I 
would fill my appointments on Sabbath, and on 
Monday, I would order my goods back to Colum- 
bia county, return to my family, and engage in 
some other business. If conference would send 
me on a circuit to starve, as that old class leader 
said I would, they had sent the wrong man, and 
would be disappointed in the end, as I could main- 
tain myself and family, at something else. But in 
the after part of the day, Brother Peters returned 
home, and by the time I had spent the evening with 
him, I had concluded differently. This was truly 
a good brother, and looked at things quite differ- 
ently to what the old class leader did. He told me 
things were not so bad, after all. That no one had 
ever starved there yet, and he knew I would not. 
That conference had done right in sending me 
there, and that they had rented a fine home for us, 
in Bendersville. The next morning he would hitch 
up, and take me to my appointments, and I should 
return and stay with him over night again, and 
Monday morning he would take me to town and 
show me the new home, and he was satisfied 
it would be all right. And so it was. On Sabbath 
morning he hitched two horses to his buggy and 



J 1 4 A WONDER OF GRACE 

took me seventeen miles to the "Bower's church," 
.where I preached to a large congregation, at 10 
a. m. The Lord was with us, and blessed us, and 
I felt as did St. Paul, when he "thanked God and 
took courage." We returned to the home of 
Brother Peters in the evening, as I had but one 
appointment, that day. The next morning we 
went to Bendersville, saw the new home, made 
arrangements to have our household goods 
hauled from Carlisle, eighteen miles, and Tuesday 
morning I took the train, and returned for my 
family in Columbia county. We spent a few days 
together in visiting friends and relatives, and then 
left for the new home in Bendersville, Adams 
county. The morning of the day before we left, I 
went alone from Father-in-laws, to spend a 
short time with my aged parents, and to take my 
final leave of them. As I was on foot and alone, I 
took time for reflection on the way. I followed 
up the little brook which led to my father's house. 
I sat down on a log by the way in the woods, and 
thought of my childhood days. I thought of the 
time, when as a boy I used to catch trout and 
minnows, in that little stream. But oh, what 
changes had taken place. I thought I was now 
perhaps treading these banks for the last time. I 
then knelt down there by that log, in the woods 
alone, and in earnest prayer to God, I thanked 
him for kind parents and friends, for child-hood 
and youth, and for all his goodness, in leading me 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 115 

safely into the way of life and salvation, and 
especially that he had accounted me worthy of the 
office, and work of the christian ministry. I also 
earnestly prayed him for his guidance in the 
future, and that he would give me success in win- 
ning souls for Jesus. After spending some time 
in weeping and praying in the woods by the side 
of that log, and reconsecrating myself, and mine, 
to the Lord, I arose and proceeded up the stream 
to father's house, the home of my childhood. I 
spent some time with my parents, took dinner with 
them, and then stated that I must now proceed on 
my journey. Father then said to me, "get the 
Bible and read a chapter, and have prayer with us 
before you go, for we may never meet again in 
this world." I read and prayed with them, and 
we had a solemn parting, so much so, that when 
we bade each other farewell, neither could speak. 
It was simply a warm shake ot the hand, and — 
"The eyes spake a gentle good-bye." And it was 
the last time I held mother's hand in mine, or 
that my hand was pressed by her's. I left and 
took across the fields, to my sister's, Mrs. James 
Kocher, and when about a half mile from the 
house, as I climbed the last fence on the old home- 
stead, being on an elevated spot, I looked 
back once more to take a last view of the old home, 
the home of my childhood. The door was wide 
open, and I saw mother standing in it, still looking 
alter me. We looked at each other for a few 



Il6 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

moments, when I waved her a final adieu with my 
hand. It was the last look. We never saw each 
other again. In July I received a letter from my 
Brother Samuel, stating that mother had taken 
suddenly ill, and died in a few days, and was now 
buried. Mother — Dear Mother ! 

She had been a good mother to me. She had 
given me much good counsel aud advice. She al- 
ways admonished me to " be a good boy." But 
now she is gone to return no more, forever. But 
I hope to meet her again, where parting will be no 
more. Among her last words spoken to my sis- 
ter, who watched by her side to the end, were 
these : "I have finished the work he gave me to 
do." Words so like the words of our blessed Sav- 
ior, when he cried on the cross, "It is finished," 
and like those of the apostle Paul, when he said, 
"I have fought a good fight, I have finished my 
course. I have kept the faith." Thus she died in 
peace, aged seventy-one years. 

After staying with my brother Samuel, at 
Centerville over night, we took the train for Carlisle. 
We had a long and tedious journey to Benders- 
ville. The eighteen miles from Carlisle, where we 
lelt the cars, were made on a farmer's spring 
wagon, loaded with plow shares and furniture, and 
nearly the whole distance after night, and part of 
the road was terrible, indeed. My wife and the 
children were entirely worn out by the time we 
arrived at Brother Peters, where we stayed over 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 117 

night. But in a few days we were rested up and 
nicely fixed in our new home. Miss Sallie Evans, 
my wife's sister, made her home with us. In the 
fall I started a milliner shop which she carried on 
for me. On this circuit I labored alone, as I did 
on the mission, and by some means, I cannot tell 
why, I was so sorely tempted and tried as never 
before. Satan tried hard to drive me from the 
field, and get me to abandon the active ministry. 
He would tell me that my want of education dis- 
qualified me entirely for the ministry, and that I 
had never been called of God to the work. In- 
deed I was so tempted to doubt my call to the min- 
istry, that I consented to retire from the active 
work, and farm for father, as he was now alone, 
mother having died, and he desired me to come 
home, farm for him and attend to his business. 
And I thought that would be the end of my minis- 
try. Then, too, under this depression of spirit, I 
labored until fall, without any visible results of my 
labors. But in the fall and winter revivals broke 
out at the different appointments and great and 
lasting good was accomplished. The work broke 
out at three of my appointments at one time, and I 
was obliged to preach night about at two of them 
for some time and the third being a distant point I 
left in the care of the membership. At Whites- 
town and Bendersville, two of them, we had a 
number of conversions. The third was at the 
Bower's Church, where a few were converted, one 



Il8 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

of whom was a young man, who afterwards at- 
tended Dickinson College, in Williamsport, Lycom- 
ing Co., for some time, intending to prepare him- 
self for the ministry, but his health failed and he 
was obliged to give up school, went west for his 
health and I ha^e lost track of him entirely. 

Upon this outbreak of the work I was greatly 
encouraged, and wrote to father requesting him to 
excuse me from coming home on the farm, as I 
now preferred continuing in the active ministry. 
But he insisted upon my coming, stating that it was 
hard, when a father had labored hard all his days, 
and raised a large family and then had no one to 
take care of him in his declining years. Being the 
youngest of the twelve children, and the son of his 
old age, I felt that I should comply with his wishes 
and again promised him to do so, but it was not 
what I now desired. I now preferred preaching. 
In December I held a meeting in a small, old school 
house, known as the " Cranberry School House," 
where we had preached for a number of years, but 
had no organization, and but a few members. It 
was located between two churches. One a United 
Brethren Church, a short distance down the road, 
the other a Lutheran Church, just across the way. 
I said I would hold a meeting, and if I succeeded 
in effecting an organization, I would continue the 
appointment, if not I would abandon it. 

We had a good meeting and sixteen young 
persons made a profession of religion, but their 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 119 

parents being members of one or the other of the 
churches near by, they joined the church of their 
parents, and I advised them to do so, believing it 
to be best for them, and I abandoned the appoint- 
ment. Among the converts at this meeting were 
two young men who united with the Lutheran 
Church, and now are most worthy and able 
Lutheran ministers. The one is Rev. E. D. Weigle, 
at present pastor of the First Lutheran church in Al- 
toona, Blair County, Pa. The other is Rev. D. A. 
Day, Lutheran Missionary at Monrovia, Liberia, 
Africa, where he is doing a great work, and has 
been for years. These are most worthy and able 
ministers of the New Testament, and I refer to 
them with a little spiritual pride, as the brightest 
trophies of my ministry. In my desk among my 
carefully preserved, and highly prized letters are 
several from Brother Weigle, in which he refers 
very feelingly to the meeting in the old school 
house. He closes a letter to me, bearing the date 
of November 13th, 1883, in the following language, 
"How I thank you for pointing me to the Lamb of 
God, that taketh away the sin of the world, in the 
old school house at Cranberry. May God bless 
you and yours." How cheering such language, 
from such a brother, in my declining years. An- 
other letter car fully stowed away, and highly 
prized bears date as follows : 

"Muhlenberg Mission, August yth, 1890. 
Rev. H. A. Dietterich, 

My Dear Brother" and in the course of his 



120 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

letter he says, "Yes, I too, will never forget the 
meeting in the little country school house. I remem- 
ber the sermon, even some of its divisions, but have 
forgotten the text. I went to that meeting, with 
no thought of going to the altar, but God brought 
the truth home to my heart, and that night I took 
my first stand for Christ." In closing his letter he 
says — "Write to me, when you can find time. 
There is no one I would rather hear from than 
you. Yours in Christ. D. A. Day." 

O, who would have thought, that the influence 
of that little meeting would be so powerfully felt 
even in Africa. Surely, great things may come 
from small beginnings. When I remember that 
these able ministers were brought to Christ by my 
feeble efforts, I feel to thank God and take courage. 
And when I consider the success of these Brethren, 
and especially that of Brother Day in a foreign 
field, I do not wonder that Satan tried so hard to 
drive me from the field before they were brought 
to Christ. Especially if he has the power of fore- 
knowledge. For both are doing a great work for 
Jesus. 

During the meeting our third son was born 
December 26th, 1866, and received the name of 
George Henry, being named after both of his 
grand fathers, and Henry being my name also in 
part. 

I preached at Clear Springs during the sum- 
mer months, under the locust trees in the yard 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 121 



surrounding the house of Brother Jacob Brandt, 
hence called the Brandt appointment. I also held 
a woods meeting in his grove, in August. In the 
fall they kindly offered me the Strayer school 
house, near by, for preaching and I continued the 
appointment during the winter, which resulted in 
the building of a good church the following sum- 
mer, which I helped to dedicate. It is known 
as "The Union Church," and I have been imformed 
that they now have a good congregation there. At 
the Bowers church we had a good brother and his 
family, of whom I was very fond and^whom I 
frequently visited. He was a good, jolly m fellow, 
but lived some three miles from the church 
and was the village blacksmith. When I went 
down to that meeting I said to my wife, now I 
will have a good time with Brother S. But I 
preached on Saturday evening and he was not 
there On Sabbath morning and evening he still 
was missing. So Sabbath evening I inquired of 
the class leader, who was a near neighbor to him, 
Where is Brother S ? I have not seen him at our 
meeting yet. Is he sick ? or why is he not here ? 
The reply was "O, he's got into his old evil habit 
again." Indeed, and what is that ? "O, he was 
drunk again." Why I did not know he was given 
to drink, is he ? "Yes, he was, and he has joined 
church several times and always fell back again, 
but this time he stood longer than ever before, but 
now, I guess he is gone." Well, I said, I must go 



122 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

and see him to-morrow. I can not give him up 
yet. His reply was, "I guess it will be of no use, 
but you can go and see him." The next day I 
drove to his shop and we greeted each other as 
usual. After a few words together the following 
conversation took place. Well, Dear Brother, I 
was very much disappointed in not seeing you in 
church. "Yes, I have not been there and I sup- 
pose you know the reason. I was away and got 
into bad company and I got drunk, and now, if I 
go to church the people will laugh and say, "there 
he is in church, and he was drunk again. So I 
don't like to go." Well, that is just the reason I 
came to see you, not to give you a scolding, but to 
urge you to come. You have given the people 
reason to talk and they will talk, whether you go 
to church or not. But you do not intend to stay 
away, go back to your old evil habit again and ruin 
yourself and family, and be lost in the end, do you ? 
"O, no ; I don't want to do that." Well, then the 
best thing you can do is to go with me to 
church this evening and take your seat as usual 
among the members, and after preaching I will 
give an opportunity for any to speak who teel like 
doing so, and you get up, acknowledge your fault 
and ask forgivness, all will cheerfully do it, and 
then go ahead and do as you did before. "I know 
it would be the best, but I don't like to do that." I 
insisted, it is your only safe way, I urged. He 
finally consented, went with me, got up, made the 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 23 

acknowledgment with tears and asked forgiveness. 
Nearly the whole congregation was in tears by the 
time he sat down. That was the last time. I saw 
him in Harrisburg in 1887 and he was yet happy 
and on his way to Zion. But if I had not gone to 
him, as I did, he might perhaps have filled a 
drunkard's grave. O, how important the exhorta- 
tion of the apostle — "Brethren, if a man be over- 
taken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such 
an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, 
lest thou also be tempted. But bear ye one 
another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." 
Gal. v. 1, 2. How many who are lost, might have 
been saved, if this were always done to the 
weak. At the end of the conference year I finished 
my work on the charge, having preached one 
hundred and ninety-four sermons, and by God's 
blessing, accomplished a good and lasting work. 
I now sold my milliner shop to my sister-in-law, 
and amid the regrets of the people, left for Con- 
ference, which met in New Kingston, Cumberland 
county. My family had moved in the month of 
February to father's in Columbia county. This 
was the circuit where the old class leader said we 
would starve, but Brother Peters said we would 
not, as no one had starved there yet, and we did 
not. We had a very pleasant home, kind friends, 
and received near five hundred dollars salary. On 
this charge I learned, as I have often since exper- 
ienced, that our greatest blessings, brightest days, 



124 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



most joyous seasons, and successful efforts, are 
often preceeded by the most trying times, dark 
seasons and sore temptations. "Alter clouds, sun 
shine" 

"Behind a frowning providence, He hides a 
smiling face." 

"Even so, Father, for so it seemeth good in thy 
sight." Amen. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 25 



CHAPTER XI. 

CONFERENCE IN NEW KINGSTON, CUMBER- 
LAND COUNTY. RETIRE FROM THE AC- 
TIVE MINISTRY FOR ONE YEAR. TRIP 
TO COLUMBIA COUNTY. A FARMER. 
DEATH OF MY ELDEST SISTER. 
FATHER'S DEATH, ETC. 

At the conference in New Kingston, Cumber- 
land County, though now contrary to my own feel- 
ings, yet according to previous arrangements, I 
asked for the privilege of retiring one year from 
the active work of the ministry, yet to be retained 
in the Itinerancy, which request was very kindly 
granted me. I remained at conference until Mon- 
day noon, when I left New Kingston for father's 
in Columbia County with my horse, and carriage, 
which took me two and a half days to reach. It 
rained most of the time, and the mud was quite 
deep in the roads, it being the beginning of March, 
1867. 

The first night I stopped in Newport, Perry 
County, with Brother Yohn, a member of our 
church there. The next day I proceeded by way 
of Liverpool, Perry County, to Selinsgrove, Snyder 
County, Pa. 

When I was about one mile above Liverpool 
I saw a man sitting under the overshoot of a large 



126 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



barn. He had a fine home and was well fixed in 
the world, also a member of a sister church. I 
asked him for a little dinner and horse feed, it be- 
ing about noon. "But he took me not in." He 
refused, but directed me up the river some distance 
to a hotel. 1 then proceeded but a few rods farther 
to another large farm house and stoped at the 
hitching post. But before I had time to tie my 
horse the man came out, took hold of my horse 
and gave me a most friendly greeting, and said I 
should go into the house and he would put up my 
horse and feed him, before I had time to tell him 
who I was, or what I wanted. The family treated 
me very kindly, fed my horse, gave me dinner, 
and he greased my buggy. I found them to be 
members of the Lutheran church, and good warm- 
hearted christians. I told him of the manner in 
which his neighbor had treated me. He said, 
"just wait until I see him, I shall tell him about it. 
He always thinks his church so much better than 
the Lutheran church. I shall tell him, how he 
turned away a minister of the gospel and directed 
him to a hotel, which is not a hotel, but simply a 
canal house and not fit for a decent man to stop 
at." After dinner we talked for some time of 
Jesus and his love. I then read a portion of scrip- 
ture, we sang a hymn and offered prayer, and the 
Lord blessed us together. I "thanked God and 
took courage." I then asked them what I owed 
them for dinner and horse feed. They said 



A WONDER OF GRACE 127 

"nothing," that I was entirely welcome to all they 
had done for me, and if I ever came that way 
again I knew where to stop. I should not fail to 
stop with them. This family heeded the exhorta- 
tion of the apostle, "Be not forgetful to entertain 
strangers," — while the other did not, but turned 
me away hungry and cold, and yet claimed to be 
the best christian man of the two. "O, consist- 
ancy, thou art a Jewel." I then proceeded to Sel- 
insgrove, where I stayed over night with another 
Lutheran family who treated me very kindly also, 
and free of charge. No wonder I finally became 
a minister in the Lutheran church, after being 
treated so kindly by her members. The next day 
I proceeded by way of Northumberland, Danville, 
and Bloomsburg, and arrived at father's about 
eight oclock in the evening, where I met my family 
once more, having traveled through mud and rain, 
both of which were plenty at that time, from 
Bend.rsville, Adams County, to Briar Creek, Co- 
lumbia County with my horse and carriage. I 
found the children just recovering from a severe 
attack of the measles, which had been aggravated 
by the exposure from the long move. 

I now doffed the "clerical robe," for that oi 
a farmer. 

Father made public sale of his personal prop- 
erty, and I bought stock and farming utensils and 
went to work. Not having done much manual 
labor for eight years, it went hard with me for 



128 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

some time, but I soon became accustomed to it 
again. God blessed us all with good health and 
I enjoyed farming right well again. God also 
gave the increase. I had good crops, and did well 
in farming. Father said, I had the best crops 
ever raised on the farm. But I no longer doubted 
my call to the ministry, and felt that farming was 
not my work. I never felt condemned for the 
course I had taken, believing that it was my duty 
to care for my aged father, and I preached some 
where almost every Sabbath. Yet I did not feel 
contented. I felt like a child away from home. 
As the child would long for home, so I longed for 
the active work of the ministry. 

Frequently on Sabbath morning, when in the 
barn feeding my horses, and hearing my wife in 
the house singing some ol the beautiful songs of 
Zion, I would be so overcome, that I would kneel 
down in the feeding room, and weep and pray ; I 
was so homesick for the work. In April, while 
preparing to plant corn, the Baptist minister, a 
young man was holding a series of meetings in the 
Baptist Church, about one and a half miles from 
where we lived. 

My sister, living on the adjoining farm, was for 
many years a leading member of that church, in- 
deed I might say the leading member of that con- 
gregation, which was very small. Her eldest son 
has been a Baptist minister for a number of years, 
and was at that time going to school at Lewisburg, 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 29 

preparing for the ministry. She was naturally very 
much interested in this meeting. Her husband 
and I were always very intimate, but I am sorry 
to say, he was not a member of church or a pro- 
fessor of religion at that time and is not to this 
day. He very seldom went to church, unless I 
preached. But would generally go with me to 
church. One night this minister staid at sister's 
over night, intending 10 talk to my brother-in-law, 
and try to get him to church. In the morning he 
spoke to him as follows : 

"Mr. K., why don't you come to preaching ? " 
The reply was, "I seldom go to preaching, unless 
Alonzo preaches. I would go a good ways to 
hear him." "And who is Alonzo, I have never 
seen, or heard of him ? " "Why he is my brother- 
in-law and lives just below here on the adjoining 
farm." This was enough. After breakfast my 
sister and the preacher came to visit us. Their 
object was to get me to preach for him, so my 
brother-in-law would attend church. I was in the 
field ploughing until noon. I spent about two 
hours with them, and then said, they must excuse 
me, as I had no one to help me and dare not let 
the team stand idle in the stable, but they should 
spend the afternoon with father and my family. 
The minister then informed me of the meeting and 
insisted on my coming to his help. I told him it 
was impossible for me to do so, as I had not 
worked much for years, and did not expect to farm 



13 } A WONDER OF GRACE. 

long, and so must put in full time while at it, and 
I got so tired by evening that I could hardly walk, 
and so I must have my rest at night. He insisted 
on my coming, but said nothing as to the special 
object. I simply told him I could not, and went to 
the field. 

Toward evening he and my sister went home 
again. But early Sunday morning, while I was 
feeding my horses, he came into the feeding room, 
and said, "I want you to help me out to-day, I have 
preaching in Berwick this morning and evening, 
and I dare not disappoint them, and this meeting 
cannot stop yet, so I want you to preach for me. 
What do you say?" I will preach at the meeting 
this morning and evening, but not in Berwick, as 
that is too far, was my reply. "All right, then I 
wi)l go to Berwick, and you preach here this 
morning and evening, and publish preaching for 
Monday evening. Good morning" — and he left. 
In due time I started for church, and as I passed 
my brother-in-law's house he went with me. And 
so in the evening, when he told me of the conver- 
sations he had with the preacher, and said — "That 
is the reason he came to see you, and got you to 
preach for him, but you can't do it now, and this is 
not the proper season to hold meetings anyhow. 
I won't go again," and he did not. But that even- 
ing, before I began preaching, the minister came 
in, but I must preach, and did so. It was the last 
time myself, or brother-in-law were at the meet- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 13I 

ing. In a few evenings the meeting closed, and 
but little was accomplished. A few Sabbaths after 
the closing of the meeting, he baptized two or three 
persons in the Susquehanna river, and two weeks 
later, he held communion on Sabbath afternoon in 
the church. Not having any other engagement, I 
walked down to the church, and as I passed my 
brother-in-law's, he said he would walk along, and 
did so. We arrived at the church, just as the Sab- 
bath school was about closing, and so stopped out- 
side of the gate, in front of the church, a lew mo- 
ments, when we saw the pastor approaching, and 
my brother-in-law remarked — "Now he will want 
you to preach for him." I said, not to-day, this is 
communion day and they are close communionists. 
He replied, %t Yes he will, now see if he don't." 
Well said I, if he does, we will have a little fun 
with him. By this time he came up, shook hands 
with both of us, and then turning to me said — "I 
want you to preach for me, won't you?" I said, 
not to-day, I came expressly to hear you this time. 
He insisted, but I said, not to-day, you heard me 
preach a few weeks ago, and now I came to hear 
you, and I positively will not preach. "Well then, 
you will go with me into the pulpit and take part 
in the services, won't you ? " I said, I will on 
certain conditions. "And what are they ?" Well 
you are close communionists here, we can come 
and sing and pray with you, and preach for you, 
and are right good fellows, until it comes to com- 



132 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

miming ; then we must all sit back, like heathens. 
Now, if I am to sit back like a heathen, when you 
commune, I don't want to sit in the pulpit, or take 
any part in the services. "No," said he — "we are 
not close communionists." I said, you always 
have been here, and I venture to say, that there 
never have a half dozen communed in that church, 
outside of your own membership since it was built. 
"No we are not close communionists, all are wel- 
come to commune with us who are satisfied with 
their Baptism, whether members of our church or 
not. If you are satisfied with your Baptism, you 
are welcome to commune with us." I replied, my 
parents had me baptized in infancy and I never 
felt that I needed any more, and therefore I am sat- 
isfied with my Baptism. "Then you are welcome 
to commune with us." Will you make that state- 
ment from the pulpit ? "Yes sir." Will you treat 
the members of other churches, as you treat the 
members of your own church, when they come to 
commune. "Yes, sir; I will." Then I will go 
with you, and we entered the church, and pulpit 
together, and he preached. But he had no liberty 
in preaching. It would not go, and I presume the 
circumstances in which he was placed had some- 
thing to do with it. To treat me and all others, as 
he had promised me he would do, would be a vio- 
lation of the rules of their church, and not to do 
so, would injure his influence in that congregation, 
outside of his own membership, at least, and that 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 33 

was very small, and would certainly ruin his influ- 
ence entirely with my brother-in-law, whose favor 
he was trying to court, and rightly, too. So he 
hardly knew what to do, but got out of it nicely in 
the end. 

When done preaching, he stated that they 
were now about to commemorate the sufferings and 
death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by par- 
taking of the emblems of his broken body and shed 
blood, and then said, "It is not for me to invite any 
body to commune, not even my own members, but 
all are welcome to commune with us who are sat- 
isfied with their Baptism, whether members of our 
church, or not," and, then he sat down. Thus he 
did not violate their rules, he had done all he had 
promised me to do, treated all alike, and yet in- 
vited no one, not even his members to commune. 
I communed with them, but was the only one out- 
side of their own membership to do so. While I 
have love and charity for all christian churches, I 
confess my affection for these close communing 
Baptists, is not very strong. I have seen so much 
of it, as to make it look unchristian, and disgusting 
to me. May the good Lord forgive me if 
I am wrong in this feeling. When brothers 
and sisters of the same family cannot com- 
mune together, yea, children cannot commune 
with their own parents, simply because they do 
not belong to the same church, and yet claim to 
belong to the same divine family, I think, to say the 



134 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

least, is unnatural, if not zinchristian, and I 
would pray to be saved from such a spirit as that. 
They may have a heaven by themselves, or a sep- 
arate apartment in heaven, in the future world, I 
do not know, but if they have, I have failed to find 
any direct reference to it in the Bible. If they 
have not, they certainly must commingle and 
\ commune with God's people, of other churches in 
Heaven, if they ever get there. Then why not do 
so here on earth ? During the summer, as already 
stated, I would frequently get very homesick for 
the active ministry. One Saturday noon, I came 
in from work in the field, having one of my home- 
sick spells very badly. After dinner, I sat down to 
rest,and took up the "Evangelical Messenger," our 
church paper, and looked over the obituary 
column. It contained a lengthy obituary of a 
young man, who had died on the Wyoming circuit. 
It spoke of his illness, and of his happy death. He 
had died very happy, and gave the brighest possible 
evidence of his acceptance with God. It then 
stated, "This young man was converted, and ad- 
mitted into the church at a meeting held by Rev. 
H. A. Dietterich, in the Square Top school house." 
I called to mind this young man, and remem- 
bered well how I had kneeled by his side, and 
pointed him to "The Lamb of God that taketh 
away the sin of the world," as he knelt at the altar 
of prayer. How he had looked up to Jesus, through 
his tears, and his darkness was turned into day, 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 135 

and his mourning into joy. I also thought of the 
happiness he experienced, when deliverance came, 
and how he praised God for it, and now he had died 
praising God, according to this obituary. I thanked 
God that at least one was saved through my 
instrumentality, and, that is worth a life time in 
the ministry. It proved a great comfort to me at 
that time. I preached somewhere almost every 
Sabbath, during the summer. We also had a tent 
at the Evangelical campmeeting in the grove of 
Mr. Joseph Conner. At the conference held at 
this meeting Rev. G. E. Zehner, a cousin to my 
wife, received preacher's license, and is yet in the 
active ministry. In the fall, on invitation, I attend- 
ed and assisted at the dedication of the Union 
Church, near Clear Springs, York County, at the 
Brandt appointment, already referred to in this 
book, where I began the work by preaching under 
the locust trees in Brandt's yard. I went down 
on Friday, and on Saturday we held the first ser- 
vice in the new church. The dedication took 
place on Sabbath. The following ministers were 
present : my brother-in-law, Rev. Z. Hornberger, 
who was my successor, as preacher in charge of 
the circuit, which I had left in the spring, when 
I moved to Father, Rev. George Hunter, and 
also Rev. Foal of the United Brethren Church, 
and myself. The dedication passed off very 
pleasantly. On Monday Revs. Hunter and Foal 
left for their homes and Hornberger left for his 



136 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

home in Bendersville on Wednesday. At the ur- 
gent request of the people I remained over the 
second Sabbath and until Saturday of the follow- 
ing week, and continued the meeting, which was 
a grand success. The mighty power of God was 
most signally displayed in the meeting. Sinners, 
would be so overcome during the preaching of 
the word, as to fall on their knees, at their seats, 
and to cry to God for mercy. Some were so broken 
up as to be unable to arise and come to the altar of 
prayer, when penitents were invited forward, but 
remained on their knees at their seats all through 
the church, earnestly wrestling with God. like 
Jacob of old for mercy and saltation. During the 
two weeks I was at the meeting thirty- six persons 
presented themselves at the altar of prayer as peni- 
tents, eighteen of whom professed conversion. 
The last night I was there eighteen were kneeling 
side by side at the altar, six of whom were happily 
converted to God that evening. It was one of the 
most signally blessed meetings I ever attended and 
conducted. I should have remained longer, and 
the congregation plead with me to do so, and con- 
tinue the meeting, but father was not well when I 
left home. So I felt obliged to return home, and 
did so. How the meeting finally terminated I do 
not know, but as a result of the meeting they were 
enabled to effect a good organization which remains 
to this day. For my two weeks services the good 
people kindly gave me some thirty dollars. May 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 37 

the Lord reward them abundantly for it. During 
this meeting I had an experience which I will 
never forget, and I do not wish to see it repeated. 
I was staying over night with a family in Franklin- 
town. In the morning before we had breakfast, 
a gentleman came in stating that he was sent after 
me to come to Mr. Strayer's tenement house to 
baptize a sick woman, who was at the point of 
death. We ate breakfast hurriedly, when I mount- 
ed the buggy with him, and we drove to the house. 
When I entered the house I found quite a number 
of neighboring women present, kindly doing all 
they could for the afflicted family. I was con- 
ducted into a smallroom down stairs, and as I entered 
it, on the left on a bed lay the wife and mother, in 
the last stages of typhoid fever. To the right in 
another bed, lay their only child, a daughter, about 
fourteen years of age, with the same disease, and 
it was hard to tell which of the two would die 
first, while the husband and father was in bed up- 
stairs, slowly recovering from the same disease. 
Thus the entire family were in bed at one time 
with the fever. I approached the mother's bed- 
side, and in answer to my questions, she informed 
me that she had neglected the salvation of her 
soul, as too many do, up to the time of her sick- 
ness. But she said, she had now repented of her 
sins, and she felt that God had forgiven her ; that 
she had peace with God, and was ready to die, 
only she must yet be baptized ; that she must be 



T38 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

baptized and all would be well, but she must be 
baptized by immersion. I told her, she could not 
well be immersed in her present condition, and 
asked her whether she could not be satisfied to be 
baptized by sprinkling, as the validity of Baptism, 
did not depend upon the quantity of water used, 
or the mode in which it was performed, but upon 
her faith in Jesus. But she said, "no, there is no 
Baptism, but by immersion. I can easily ride to 
the creek, and be immersed." I then told her 
that the day was cold, and very windy, that it was 
quite a distance to the creek, and she was too weak, 
and short of breath, and would strangle in the 
water, and it would be impossible for her to ride 
that distance and be immersed now. But she be- 
came quite excited and said, "It wont hurt me. 
It is you — you are afraid to go into the water, I can 
easily ride to the creek, and I must be immersed, 
or I will be lost," and in her excitement she sprang 
up in bed, and reached out for her clothes, which 
were hanging against the wall at the foot of her 
bed. I plead with her, reasoned with her, and 
tried to show her that her salvation did not depend 
upon her being immersed now, in her present con- 
dition ; that God did not require impossibilities of 
her, in order to her salvation ; that she should have 
attended to this important duty in the days of 
health, when she might have been immersed, but 
to immerse her now was impossible, and if God 
had forgiven her all her other sins, as she claimed 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 39 

he had, he had also forgiven her the neglect of 
being baptized, unless she could be satisfied to be 
baptized in some other way than by immersion. 
Others tried to reason with her also, but all in 
vain. When I could do nothing with her, I went 
up stairs to her husband and spoke to him in ref- 
erence to it. He said " To immerse her is impos- 
sible, and to baptize her in any other way will not 
satisfy her, so we can do nothing for her, but pray 
for her, which you have already done." But this 
was her constant plea all day, u only immerse me, 
and all will be right." Oh, I wished again and 
again, that immersion had never been heard, or 
thought of, as a mode of Baptism, or an ordinance 
of the church I believe that the church and her 
ordinances, are like the gospel, yea, like salvation 
itself, suited to all people, to all times, to all places, 
and to all circumstances. But immersion is not, 
and I am therefore inclined to doubt its being a 
scriptural mode of Baptism, or an ordinance of the 
church. This woman might have been baptized 
in her bed, by sprinkling without inconvenience, or 
doing her any harm. But because of her preju- 
dice, or early training, that would not satisfy her, 
consequently she must die without being baptized 
at all, immersion being impossible, under the cir- 
cumstances. Oh, what folly. I remained with 
her until time to go to the church in the evening. 
Before I left for church, her physician came in. 
He was a middle aged man. I told him of her 



I40 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

desire to be immersed. He said, "Well if you had 
a large vessel here in her room, you might im- 
merse her, but she would die in your hands, and 
you would not like that, but it would make no 
difference, for she will die anyhow." I said, 1 
should not attempt it, even if we had a suitable ves- 
sel for the purpose. If she must be immersed now, 
she must get those who taught her that dottrine 
and believe in it, to immerse her, for my faith in 
immersion is not strong enough to attempt such 
a thing now. She lamented alt day to be immersed, 
and that night died with the same lament on her 
lips, though delirious part of the time. I preached 
her funeral sermon in the Chestnut Grove Ev. 
Lutheran Church, and prayed to God, that I might 
never witness another such a scene. Yet I did 
see a similar case a few years later, in Cumberland 
Co. This man, however, when he found he could 
not be immersed, consented to be baptized by 
sprinkling, and was satisfied. Not that I doubted 
her salvation, simply because she was not baptized, 
for the dying thief was not baptized, and yet he 
went from the cross to Paradise, but I could not 
make her feel so, and when I think of these cases 
I almost wish that all that has ever been said or 
written in favor of immersion could be blotted out 
forever. If parents would have their children 
baptized in their infancy, as they should do, the 
lament to be baptized would never be heard on the 
death bed. Her husband and daughter finally re- 
covered and are yet living. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 141 

In the fall I informed father that I could farm 
no longer. I told him that I would not accept the 
best farm in the county as a present, if I must aban- 
don the ministry and live on it, though I need not 
work a day in my life. I advised him to make his 
home with my oldest sister, Mrs. Hutchison, who 
was a widow, and lived in Light Street, a very 
pleasant little town, seven miles away from the 
farm. I thought he would have more company in 
town, and it would be more pleasant for him there 
than on the farm, and then he could rent the farm 
to a stranger, and I could again engage in the ac- 
tive work of the ministry. He concluded to do so, 
and had partly arranged with a neighbor to take 
the farm. He then went to see my sister in refer- 
ence to it. They arranged for him to come and 
live with her in the Spring, and then rent the farm 
to the neighbor already referred to. But that night 
after he left her and came home, she took sick 
with typhoid fever, and in nine days she died. 
"Thus man proposes, but God disposes." She 
died October 12th, 1867, aged fifty-one years, three 
months and thirteen days. She had been a worthy 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 
many years, and died agood christian woman. She 
left one son and one daughter. Her son, the Rev. 
Arthur Hutchison, is now a minister in the Pres- 
byterian Church, in the state of Illinois. Arrange- 
ments were now made for Daniel Shaffer, who was 
married to my youngest sister, to move in with 



142 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

father to take care of him, and do the farming. 
That I might devote more time to the ministry dur- 
ing the winter, and that my brother-in-law might the 
better prepare for the Spring work, we, with the 
mutual consent of all, agreed to exchange homes 
that fall yet, and did so. He moved in with father, 
and we moved into the house which he had occu- 
pied, about the first of December. But shortly after 
the change was made, father took sick, and after 
six weeks of severe suffering he died. He died 
Jan. 30th, 1868, aged seventy-three years, eleven 
months and ten days. I was with him during all 
his sickness, and frequently, after lying down at 
night to get a little sleep, he would call me up 
again, and when I would get up and go to him 
he would tell me, "I feel so bad, I cannot rest 
and I want you to pray for* me." I would 
then kneel by the side of his chair and offer 
prayer in his behalf. He would then invariably 
tell me, "I feel better now and you can lie down 
and take a little sleep again." For nearly six 
weeks he sat in his chair, day and night, being un- 
able to lie down, because of difficulty in breathing, 
caused by heart disease. He gave me repeated 
assurances of his readiness for the important change 
so near at hand. At last death came suddenly to 
his relief, and I saw him laid by the side of mother, 
in the Lutheran burying ground, near the Lutheran 
Church, which I, as a mechanic had helped to build 
in my unconverted state. Father and mother had 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 43 

both lived and died worthy members of the Luth- 
eran congregation, worshiping in that Church. 
"Peace to their ashes." During the winter I as- 
sisted our minister, Rev. A. H. Ervine, as much as 
I could, in holding meetings. I conducted a meet- 
ing in the Evansville Church, during father's sick- 
ness, which resulted in twenty-five conversions. 
Here I had myself been converted some years pre- 
vious. I also attended the laying oi the corner- 
stone for a new Lutheran Church at Martsville. 
The sermon was preached by Rev. A. W. Lentz, 
of Clintonville, Lycoming Co., Pa. We had a se- 
vere winter. An immense body of. snow, with 
good sleighing, lay on the ground from the middle 
of December until the middle of March. The first 
week in March I again attended our annual con- 
ference and applied for a circuit. Thus ended my 
experience as a farmer, which satisfied me more 
fully than ever by my constant longing for the work, 
of my divine call to the ministry. And I have 
never doubted it for a moment since. It was in 
some respects an eventful year. God blessed us 
all with good health, and our crops were all good, 
but during the year I had seen my eldest sister and 
my father laid into the silent tomb. 

My most amusing, and yet most -provoking 
experience on the farm, was with a balky mare I 
had purchased at the public sale. She was just 
like some people I have met. You could not de- 
pend upon her, for she would generally balk just 



'44 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

when, and where, you did not want her to do so, 
and at times and places where there appeared to be 
but little or no cause for it. My first experience 
with her at it, and the first I knew she was given 
to this evil habit, was while plowing corn in a field 
near the house. There was a small hill to ascend, 
and she finally concluded she would not go up it 
any more, and so stopped for me. I urged, coaxed 
and petted her, but all in vain. I finally concluded 
to try "Solomon's birtch " on her, and I met with 
some success. She changed her mind, and went 
up the hill again ; so we got along pretty well un- 
til noon. At dinner father be^an to tease me 
about it, by saying, "Ah, I guess I saw the preacher 
cross once." I said, when? "Why, when he was 
whipping the horse this forenoon." I said, no 
father I was not cross, but I whipped her just as I 
plow corn, because it mitst be done. He teased 
me considerably about it for he knew she was an 
old offender at it. He had had some experience 
with her himself. My wife said, "It is too bad to 
whip her that way." Well, said I, it mustbz done. 
After dinner I went out and tried it again, but soon 
had the same trouble with her. I unhitched her, 
and then hitched her up again, and did all I could, 
to get t her to go, without using the whip, but all in 
vain. After some time spent in this way, my wife, 
who had been looking on from the house, came 
down to me and said, "Now, whip her right, for 
she deserves it." I then tried the whip again, and 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 145 

finally succeeded in getting her to go. In the even- 
ing father teased me again, but now he said, "You 
did not get cross enough. A man strikes harder 
when he is right cross. She thinks you are only in 
fun, and not in earnest about it." I had consider- 
able trouble with her until August, when I hired 
my nephew to plow for me, while myself and fam- 
ily tented at our camp-meeting. I told him he 
would be likely to have trouble with her. He only 
remarked, "I'll soon manage that." She did try it 
with him, and I do not know whether he got crosser 
and struck harder than I did, or not, but she never 
tried it again, for him, or for me while I owned 
her. Perhaps he struck harder than I did as he 
was at the time only a student for the ministry, 
and not yet a "preacher" though he became one 
after graduating at college. And so it is some 
times severe measures are necessary, not only with 
horses, but also with people, before they will do 
their duty. In fact we all need to be chastened at 
times. Hence the apostle says of the Lord, 
"Whom he loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth 
every son whom he receiveth." Now no chastening 
for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; 
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable 
fruit of righeousness unto them which are exercised 
thereby." Heb. xii. 6, n. We all have need 
therefore to pray with the poet. 

' 'Do thou Lord, mid pleasure or woe, 

For heaven my spirit prepare, 
And shortly I also shall know, 

And feel what it is to be there." 



146 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XII. 

CONFERENCE AT LEWISBURG, UNION CO. AP- 
POINTED TO BIG SPRING CIRCUIT, CUMBER- 
LAND CO. ONE HUNDRED CONVER- 
SIONS THEFIRST YEAR. MADE TWO 
HANDED. REBUILT THE LEES- 
BURG CHURCH, ETC. 

I attended conference the first week in March, 
1868, which met in Lewisburg, Union County, Pa. 
It was yet extremely cold and the sledding good. 
But during conference it moderated and began to 
rain and the spring break up followed. Sabbath 
evening during conference I preached in the Luth- 
eran Church by appointment of the committee on 
public worship. When the stationing committee 
reported, I was assigned to the Big Spring Circuit 
in Cumberland County, in the beautiful Cumberland 
valley. Rev. A. L. Reaser was Presiding Elder. 
We now moved by rail to Shippensburg, and from 
there by wagons four miles to Leesburg along the 
noted "Walnut Bottom" road. Soon after arriving 
in our new home our second daughter, Carrie, took 
very sick, but by the mercy of God she was spared 
to us and restored to health. I found the circuit 
in a very low condition. The membership was 
scattered, divided and very much discouraged. My 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 47 

predecessor had taken up the practice of medicine 
to some extent, which interiered quite materially 
with his pastoral work on the charge, which was 
neglected, Then, too, while visiting his patients 
he was thrown from his buggy and had one of his 
limbs badly broken, which with other other injuries 
confined him to the house, and to his bed for sev- 
eral months. After recovering from this, he was 
again taken seriously ill. Consequently the circuit 
was neglected, had no preaching for a long time, 
and things were not very encouraging when we 
came there. God was certainly loudly calling this 
brother back to duty, to abandon the practice of 
medicine, to leave that to physicians, and to attend 
to the work of the ministry, to which he had been 
called of God, and set apart by the church. But 
he heeded not the call, and about one year after- 
wards he laid aside the ministry, and clung to the 
practice of medicine, and as a result, he became 
reckless, he and his wife separated, and he was 
finally expelled from the church and ministry. 
What has become of him, I do not know. This 
man certainly experienced, like many others do, 
that "the way of the transgressor is hard." The 
church property, in Leesburg, as well as the con- 
gregation, was in a deplorable condition. The 
Wagoners Church had been entirely abandoned by 
my predecessor, and the congregation scattered by 
the "Zollingerites," a sect of whom a Mr. Zollin- 
ger was the leader. After Zollinger's death, they 



I48 A WONDER OF GRACE 

were called, "The HofFerites," Hoffer being Zollin- 
ger's successor, as their leader. They are now al- 
most extinct. They had no churches, no church 
organization, no church ordinances, and any of 
them could preach. Their religion consisted in 
stamping, halloing, shouting, and in denouncing 
and abusing all other churches, and all church or- 
dinances. 

Then what made it so acceptable, especially 
to the ignorant, and the covetous, was the fact that 
it cost nothing, as they had no ministers to support 
and no churches to build. For a while they car- 
ried everything before them in some localities, and 
the Wagoners Church community was one of those 
communities. But like many other such uprisings, 
it has proven to be but a straw, or wild fire, which 
is now almost extinguished everywhere, but for the 
time, had ruined that congregation. But it was 
handed me as an appointment, and as forming part 
of the charge, by my predecessor. 

My first appointment in the church, was on 
Sabbath evening. After preaching at Mount Rock 
in the morning, and at the Mechalister school- 
house in the afternoon at 2:30. I inquired of a 
brother, who was a local preacher on the charge, 
as to where and how, I could find the Wagoner 
appointment. He informed me of the state of 
things there, and said, " that appointment is quite 
distant from here and has been dropped, and there 
is no use in you going there, as you will have no 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 49 

congregation if you do go, and I don't believe you 
will find any one to keep you over night." I re- 
plied it is given me as an appointment, and I must 
go and see it, and you must go with me, and if no 
one will keep us over night, we can come back to 
your house to stay. He finally consented, and 
went with me. When we arrived at the church it 
was about preaching time, and we found a full 
house, had a good meeting, and were very kindly 
entertained over night. From that evening I 
never had any trouble with the Zollingerites ; any 
body would entertain me, and the church was 
always filled to its utmost capacity. 

That fall I held a meeting there of five 
weeks, which resulted in twenty five conversions, 
all of whom united with the church, and thus that 
congregation was again united and re-established 
and has remained so since. During this meeting 
one evening, I saw a large portly man about fifty 
years of age, most deeply affected during the 
preaching. He wept like a child. After preach- 
ing I went to him. In answer to my questions, he 
told me that he was a member of a certain church, 
but that he was not converted and not a christian, 
and that he felt it most deeply now. I urged him 
to yield to his convictions by presenting himself at 
the altar of prayer, or kneel at his seat and pray 
there, or arise and ask an interest in the prayers of 
the church, and thus manifest it, but all in vain. 
He came the next evening also, and again wept 



150 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

like a child. I plead with him again, but all in 
vain. He came the third evening, and had a like 
experience. I went to him the third evening also, 
and said, here I am again, but it is the last time, 
lest by my continual coming I weary you, and you 
become 'impatient with me, and get offended. I 
said, God is calling you loudly now to repentance, 
and if you resist this time it may be the last call. 
I urged him to heed it now, and when I could not 
prevail upon him to do anything in public, I tried 
to get him to promise me to pray in secret, and to 
erect the family altar at home. But he would not 
promise me. I said, take care, this may be the 
last call, do not resist it, lest God "cut you down 
suddenly as a cumberer of the ground," and left 
him. That was the last time The next week he 
was gored by one of his domestic animals, and 
died the following day. Before he died he said to his 
family "I have no hope." O, it is a fearful thing to 
fight against God. How much better if he had 
yielded to his convictions the first night and given 
his heart to Jesus, for then he would have had 
hope in his death. Solomon says, "The wicked is 
driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous 
hath hope in his death," Prov. xiv. 32. 

Now we returned to Leesburg again. What 
made matters still worse in Leesburg, was the 
fact, that during the sickness of my predecessor, 
it would be natural for the friends and neighbors 
to call in, and care for them. This was proper 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 151 

and right. But unfortunately, the mistress had not 
yet learned to "bridle her tongue," which appeared 
to be loose at both ends, and by the time they left 
Leesburg she had many of the neighbors and 
members at daggers points with each other, by 
her tattling. Ihe first week we were in Leesburg, 
two families came to me for dismissal certificates, 
and the one declared he would arrest the former 
pastor and his wife, for falsehood and slander. I 
plead with them to wait a few weeks, and see how 
things would go. That if they left now, it would 
look as though they left because I had come. 
That perhaps things would go better. I preached 
in the Leesburg Church the first Sabbath after we 
moved there, and "In the name of our God we set 
up our banner," and went to work. The friends 
soon became interested, all over the Circuit. I 
then spoke of starting the Sabbath school in Lees- 
burg, which had been closed during thv winter. 
But the brethren said, "We cannot raise a Sunday 
school, and there is no use to try it unless you can 
get a certain man to superintend it. He is the 
merchant here, but he is not a member of our 
church, and we don't believe he will try it, for he 
tried it last year and no body attended, and so the 
school closed. If you can get him to take hold 
of it, it will go; but if not, it is no use to try it, and 
he wont do it." I published preaching in two 
weeks, at 10 a.m., and announced that after preach- 
ing the Sabbath school would be organized, and 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



urged all to be present. During the two weeks, 
I spoke to the man already referred to, about su- 
perintending our school. He at first refused, and 
said, " I would, but your members take no inter- 
est in it, and some of them are opposed to it. 
Then we have no library and no books and we 
can't get them. I tried it last year, and did not 
succeed. Some of the most wealthy members 
only gave twenty-live cents a piece toward it, and 
some of them begrudged even that afterwards, 
so you can't do any thing with them, and I won't 
undertake it." I replied, if you will superintend 
the school, I will get the library. He then prom- 
ised me to do so. Sabbath came and with it a full 
house. I preached a very plain and practical ser- 
mon from Numbers xiv. 24: "But my servant Ca- 
leb, because he had another spirit with him and 
hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the 
land whither he went, and his seed shall possess 
it." I tried to show up that other spirit, and point 
out the evil spirits, which were trying to ruin them 
and break up their congregation. God blessed me 
and the word to their good. Some said, " The 
preacher threw clubs thick and fast to-day. I 
guess some one has been stuffing him." That is, 
posting him on the condition of things. One 
member who was at that time our school teacher, 
and for whom I secured license as a minister of 
the gospel in less than six months after I came on 
to the circuit, ha^ proved himself a most able, effi- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 153 

cient and successful preacher, and is yet in the ac- 
tive work of the ministry. But he was one who 
had asked me for a dismissal certificate for him- 
self and wife, and remarked to my wife on the 
way home from church, "I dodged the clubs as 
long as I could, but at last I had to just sit and 
take them. They came so thick and fast. I guess 
some body has posted the preacher. But it is just 
what we needed." The word had its desired ef- 
fect. Immediately after preaching, I announced 
that we would now proceed to organize the Sab- 
bath school. I had instructed a certain brother to 
nominate brother S. as superintendent and he was 
unanimously elected. The school organized, I 
told them the next thing we needed was a library, 
and we would proceed at once to raise the money 
to secure it, before we would dismiss. All were 
interested in it and took hold of it, and in a short 
time we had on subscription and in cash forty-nine 
dollars and sixty cents. Some who had before 
given twenty-five cents, now gave five dollars. 
From that day forward we had no trouble, and 
there was no more asking for certificates. The 
school was continued the year round, and has 
never been closed for a single month since. The 
Lord be praised. 

During the summer we pulled the old church, 
a brick structure, partly down, taking the one end 
out. so as to put an addition to it, and finished it 
up in gothic -style, adding a fine tower and a large 



154 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

bell, making a splendid church of it, which was an 
honor to the town and congregation. The repairs 
cost three thousand dollars, all of which was pro- 
vided for by cash and subscription on the day of 
re-dedication. 

Here while the church was undergoing repairs, 
I had a somewhat singular experience ; an exper- 
ience which perhaps but few ministers have had. It 
was that of preaching a funeral sermon in the hotel 
for the hostler, an aged man, who was accidently 
killed. He was a wicked man. All the words I 
ever heard him utter were oaths and curses, which 
occurred but a few days before the accident as I 
passed him on the street. The accident occurred 
on this wise : They were hauling in a 1 irge load 
of hay. This man stood against the shed holding 
the door open while the load was being driven into 
the shed. In driving in, they passed under a large, 
black cherry tree, the limbs of which caught the 
handle of a four pronged tork, which had been left 
on the wagon, and threw it off, striking this man 
on the breast. Three of the prongs passed his 
body, but the fourth one pierced his left breast and 
penetrated four and a half inches to the heart, kill- 
ing him in ten minutes. I stood by his side when 
he breathed his last. Thus, "in the midst of life we 
are in death," and O, how terrible to die as he did, 
without any preparation. Therefore the import- 
ance of the exhortations in Amos iv.12: "Prepare to 
meet thy God." The church undergoing repairs, 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 155 

the funeral sermon must be preached in the hotel. 
A strange place to hold religious services, and an 
experience perhaps few ministers have had. This 
man was killed on Monday. On Saturday even- 
ing previous, I saw a large barn burn to the 
ground from spontaneous combustion, occasioned, 
as was supposed, by a fork sticking in a mow 
full of newly made hay, which heated, and caused 
the fire. The fire occurred near my appointment, 
just as the congregation was gathering for preach- 
ing. All hastened to the fire, and so I was relieved 
from preaching that evening. Sabbath morning I 
preached at Mount Rock, at 10 A. m., and at Me- 
chalister school house at two thirty, and then started 
for the Wagoner's church to preach in the evening. 
But on my my way I was obliged to stop during a 
heavy thunder shower at the house of Brother 
James Carothers, brother of Rev. M. J. Carothers. 
During the shower the lightning struck a large 
hay stack, a short distance from his buildings and 
burned it to the ground, also. The rain continued un- 
til alter dark, so I remained there over night, and 
returned home on Monday morning and then saw 
the hostler killed as above, which certainly was a 
series of exciting events. In August I attended a 
camp-meeting in Perry county, at which I pre- 
sided part of the time. The power of God was 
gloriously displayed at this camp and — "the joy of 
Jerusalem was heard afar off." From here I went 
to the Liverpool camp, where I presided during 



156 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

the entire camp. Here we also had some power- 
full meetings and the power of God was most sig- 
nally manifested. One man was so powerfully 
blessed that he lay in an unconscious state nearly 
all night, and then came to, shouting and praising 
God. At the communion, which was held in the 
forenoon, two sisters began shouting and leaping, 
so great was their joy, and finally they fell to the 
ground, overcome, and were carried into their 
tents and laid on their beds, where they lay in an 
unconscious state until lour o'clock in the evening, 
when they came to, shouting, and praising God 
also. After the campmeetings closed I com- 
menced a protracted meeting in the Wagoner's 
church, already referred to, which continued five 
weeks, and resulted in twenty-five conversions, all 
of whom united with the church, which gave us a 
good class there and fully established that scattered 
congregation again. I then proceeded to the 
Mechalister school house and held a meeting there 
with a goodly number of conversions. This meet- 
ing closed, I began in the church at Mount Rock, 
where we had a very successful meeting, and a 
number of good, substantial people were converted 
and added to the church, one of whom a.terwards 
became a minister of the gospel. This congrega- 
tion made me a present of an entire suit of clothes, 
and my wife a fine dress. From Mount Rock, I went 
to Leesburg and held a meeting in the new church, 
which continued five weeks and resulted in thirty- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 57 

five conversions, among whom was the now very 
able minister, Rev. G. W. Curren. One of the 
converts at the Mechalister school house also be- 
came a minister of the gospel. I preached three 
times on Sabbath and every night during the 
week, unless the weather was too inclement for 
the people to come out, which was very seldom 
the case, twenty-one weeks out of twenty-two, 
and led in singing most of the time. God gave 
me health and strength for the work, yet I was 
entirely exhausted a few weeks before conference 
and was obliged to rest. God also gave me one 
hundred converts, as the result of my meetings, 
three of whom became able ministers of the gospel. 
Surely a great work. I also procured license for two 
brethren, who were members of the church when 
I came on to the circuit, one accompanied me to 
conference, the other sent his application with me, 
and both were appointed to circuits. The one 
traveled one year and was finally expelled from 
the church and ministry. The other was the Rev. 
J. M. King, who is yet in the active ministry and 
an able, and successful man in the work. This 
was my most successful year in the ministry, up to 
that time. We had purchased a library for the 
Leesburg Sunday school at a cost of fifty dollars, 
repaired the church at a cost of three thousand 
dollars and secured licenses for two brethren, and 
started them out in the great work of the chris- 
tian ministry. We had one hundred converts, three 



158 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

of whom became ministers of the gospel, and so 
increased the work and extended the field, as to 
require two men the following year, and at my 
urgent request it was constituted a two handed 
circuit at conference that spring. Surely "the 
Lord had done great things for us, whereof we 
were glad." And we would exclaim, "Not unto us- — 
Not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name be all the 
praise." Yes, to him be all the glory. Amen 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 59 



CHAPTER XIII. 

CONFERENCE IN BALTIMORE, MD. RETURNED 

TO BIG SPRING CIRCUIT WITH REV. J. W. 

BENTZ AS JUNIOR PREACHER. ROWDIES 

IN LEESBURG CHURCH. SHUT OUT 

OF THE SCHOOL HOUSE, &C. 

I attended conference, which met the first 
Thursday in March, 1869, in Baltimore, Md. At 
this conference I was returned to the Big Spring 
circuit, with Rev. J. W. Bentz as my assistant. 
Having an assistant we branched out, and took 
up a number of new appointments. The one, per- 
haps of the most importance and success, was in 
Mifflin township, north of Newville. Here we had 
a few members and preached in the school house. 
In the winter we held a protracted meeting here 
and met with good success, but in the midst of the 
meeting and during my absence for a few even- 
ings the school directors closed the school house 
against my colleague and expected by so doing to 
close the meeting, but in this they failed as we con- 
tinued the meeting in a private house, the house of 
Brother William Hoch, which resulted in a num- 
ber of conversions and accessions, mostly heads of 
families, and we organized a good class, at the 
close of the meeting. The school house being 



l6o A WONDER OF GRACE. 

closed against us, only prepared the way for a new 
church. We proceeded at once, and got out a sub- 
scription and by conference time we had secured a 
location, had the money subscribed and the church 
under way. I think the devil is very short sighted 
or over shot his mark, in stirring up the directors 
to close the school house against us, and thus close 
the meeting and stop the work in that community. 
Had the school house remained open to us, the 
people would have thought it good enough and no 
church could have been built for years to come. 
But now we had no place to preach in, and some- 
thing must be done to get one, and in less than a 
year the church was completed and dedicated to the 
worship of the Triune God, and thus the congrega- 
tion was fully and firmly established. It had 
been a blessing to many a congregation, if the 
school houses had been closed against them, when 
churches would have been built, long before they 
were, but having a place to worship, the building 
of churches was neglected in many cases to the 
great detriment of the congregation. 

At Leesburg we had another very success- 
ful, meeting, resulting in thirty conversions. The 
church was densely packed every night. One 
evening when penitents were invited to the altar, 
among others who came forward, a young man 
who sat in the rear of the church was noticed to 
arise, and start for the altar, and as he passed the 
stove the door of which was standing open I saw 



A WONDER OF GRACE. l6l 

him throw something into it, and came and knelt 
at the altar, beginning to pray most earnestly to 
God for pardon and salvation. After the congre- 
gation was dismissed, as I passed out of the isle, I 
stopped and looked into the stove, being anxious 
to know what he had thrown into it, when I dis- 
covered it to be a pack of cards. It appears he 
was addicted to card playing, and had these in his 
pocket, but felt that he must put these away, if he 
would come to the Lord for salvation, thus heed- 
ing the exhortation of Isaiah, "Let the wicked for- 
sake his ways, and the unrighteous man his 
thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he 
will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he 
will abundantly pardon." Isaiah lv. 7. During this 
meeting on Saturday evening, while on our knees 
in prayer with a number of penitents at the altar,, 
there was a racket in the vestibule of the church,, 
which caused nearly all but the penitents to spring 
to their feet during the prayer. I at once began to 
sing, and all quited down again, when a 
brother came in, and passed down the isle, and 
beckoned for me in a most excited manner. Calling 
a local minister present to take charge of the meet- 
ing, I hastened to the brother in the isle to inquire, 
what was the matter. He was terribly excited, 
and said — "There are two drunken men out here, 
tearing everything to pieces, you must come out 
and settle them." I went with him at once, when 
I found two drunken men from the furnace, who 



162 A WONDER OF GfiACE 

had come to the hotel in town and got pretty full, 
then came to the meeting, swearing that they 
would red out the church. They came into the 
vestibule, and behaved badly there, when this 
brother, being notified of their conduct, went out, 
but could do nothing with them. He then sent for 
the constable, who lived at a distance and mean- 
while came in for Brother Corel, the village black- 
smith, to quiet them. He tried to coax them to 
come in, or leave, but they would do neither, and 
swore there were not men enough in the church 
to put them out. When every thing else failed this 
brother, being a very muscular man, seized one 
with each hand and chucked them both out of the 
door, which caused the racket, above referred to. 
When I came out, these men were stripped for 
fight, and swearing at a terrible rate. I went into 
the church to the justice of the peace, and told him 
he must go out and settle them, and if there was 
no other way to do it, he must take men enough 
to tie them, and I would help him do it. We went 
out and got them away, and quiet was again 
restored. 

After the meeting was closed for the evening, 
the constable arrived and arrested them and took 
them four miles to Shippensburg, where he placed 
them in the lock-up until morning, when they were 
bound over for their appearance at court, and it 
cost them a nice sum by the time they got through 
with it. They never again attempted to red out 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 63 

the church, or to disturb us in any way. When I 
had been at this meeting four weeks, I stated on 
Saturday evening, that I would preach for them on 
Sabbath morning at 10 a. m., it being my regular 
appointment, but in the evening a local brother 
would preach for them, as I must go to my other 
appointment, having remained with them at the 
meeting, and sent a substitute to preach at the 
other appointment two weeks previous, I must go 
this time myself, and I pronounced the benediction. 
Immediately after the benediction, one of the offi- 
cial members, who was in good circumstances, 
and had pledged his word before conference, that 
if I would come back on the circuit, he would give 
me forty dollars salary, came to me and said, 
"See here, you cannot go to that appointment to- 
morrow night, but you must stay here and send a 
substitute there." I said, my dear brother, I have 
done so once, and it won't do for me me to ne- 
glect my appointments entirely, so I must go this 
time myself. His reply was, "I say you must not 
go, and it you do, I will keep ten dollars off your 
your salary, and only give you thirty dollars." I 
said, I can't help that, when it comes to right, or 
wrong, dollars and cents have no bearing with me. 
It is right, that I should go, and wrong, that I 
should stay, and I am going, if you keep the iorty 
dollars. For that, you must answer, while I must 
do my duty. On Sabbath morning he came to me, 
and repeated the threat. But I told him, I could 



164 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

not be bribed to do wrong, if it was ten times ten 
dollars. I owed it to that congregation to preach 
for them. That the local brother could preach for 
them at the meeting, and I would be back on Mon- 
day evening, but it is my duty to go, and go I will, 
and leave results with the Lord. And go, I did. 
When the time came for settlement, he said he 
could give me but thirty dollars. That he was 
sorry for it, and would cheerfully give the forty, 
but that he had said, if I would go he would with- 
hold ten dollars, and he must be as good as his 
word, and so kept the ten dollars. So King Herod 
would not go back on his word, in the case of John 
the Baptist, but for "his oath's sake, he beheaded 
John." Matt. xiv. 9: but what of his word when 
he had 'promised the forty dollars? This brother 
went home from the settlement that evening, and 
the next morning, when he went to the barn to do 
his feeding, he found one of his domestic animals 
dead, which was worth several times the ten dol- 
lars he had unjustly withheld from me, and Mrs. 
D. always believed it was a judgment sent upon 
him for the wrong he had done me, and I guess 
she was right. " In as much as ye did it not unto 
the least of these, ye did it not unto me," says 
the Master. We are but stewards, after all, of 
this world's goods, and we should remember whose 
they are. "The earth is the Lord's and the full- 
ness thereof. 

During our meeting, Sister Carl, one of our 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 65 

most active, and best christian women here, was 
sent for on Saturday to come to Stoughstown on 
account of a nephew of hers, a young man, being 
very sick and not expected to live. She went 
and when she arrived there, it being four miles 
distant, she was taken sick and the following Satur- 
day she was brought home a corpse, having died 
a few hours before her nephew. I was to see her 
during her sickness. She died a most happy death. 
Her family were all with her, and the room was 
full of friends, knowing the end was near. They 
had several prayers with her and the Lord blessed 
them all together. She had a large family of 
children. She now called these to her, one after 
the other, and bade them good-by, giving each a 
few words of good counsel and advice. She then 
called for her husband and as he approached her 
bed side she turned away and said, " stay a few 
moments I cannot give you up yet." She gave 
herself to prayer a few moments, and then said, 
"Now come, I have gained the victory." She took 
him by the hand, gave him advice as to the chil- 
dren, and then gave him good-by. She then said, 
"Now sing." But none could do so. She then 
began to sing, and she was a most beautiful singer. 
She sang the hymn No. 393, "Nearer my God to 
thee, Nearer to thee," with as strong and clear a 
voice as ever. Suddenly she reached out with 
both arms and said, "O, it was an angel, I thought 



1 66 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

it was Mrs. Dietterick's baby," and then continued 
to sing, and while singing the last verse. 

"Or if on joyful wing, 

Cleaving the sky, 
Sun, moon, and stars forgot, 

Upward I fly. 
Still all my song shall be, 
Nearer my God to thee, 

Nearer to thee." 

her spirit took its flight. "O how blessed is the right- 
eous when he dies." I preached her funeral ser- 
mon, and her happy death had a great influence 
for good on oar meeting. O, that I may die as 
happy as she. 

The Leesburg, Mount Rock, Mechalister, 
Waggoner, and Mifflin Township appointments 
were now all in a very prosperous condition. 
During the year I preached the funeral sermon for 
a small child about one year old, who pulled a cof- 
fee pot full of hot coffee from the stove hearth, and 
scalded itself to death. The mother was away, 
and the hired girl had dinner ready, and stepped 
to the door, to call the father to dinner, and just 
at that moment the child, which was playing on 
the floor, jumped to its feet and pulled the coffee 
pot off with the above fatal results. It was purely 
an accident, or an act of the child, and no one was 
to blame, though the girl felt very badly about it. 
I also preached a funeral sermon for a little girl 
four years old, who fell into a cistern and was 
drowned. 



A WONDER OF GRA.CE. 1 67 

While living in Leesburg the second year our 
eldest son, James Eugene, gave us an example of 
faith in prayer, which I frequently used in my ser- 
mons as an illustration on that point. He was 
now ten years of age. He had always been a 
trusty boy from a little child, and we were accus- 
tomed to send him to the store and elsewhere on 
little errands from the time he was four years of 
age, giving him various sums of money, and he 
never lost a penny, or spent one without permis- 
sion. Here we were accustomed to send him 
some distance to a farm house every Saturday 
afternoon for butter. One afternoon he went for 
the butter as usual, and to shorten the distance and 
avoid an approaching thunder shower, he crossed 
a large clover field of some twelve or fifteen acres. 
The clover was knee high, and no path. When 
he arrived at the house and went to pay for the 
butter, he had lost his money. A fifty cent scrip 
being a fractional currency in circulation during 
the war, and for some time afterwards. It was 
now night and too late to hunt for it, and a heavy 
shower ofrain had fallen. He came home feeling 
very badly about it, and told his mother. We knew 
he could not help it, and tried to comfort him, by 
telling him, while we were sorry it was lost, we 
knew he was not to blame, and that it could not be 
found, as the clover was quite tall, no foot-path to 
follow, and the heavy rain had beat it down into 
the clover and perhaps had torn it to pieces. We 



1 68 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

all retired to bed at the proper time, but he still 
felt badly about it. On Sabbath morning he arose 
bright and early, and without saying a word, 
started out on the hunt of the lost money, and be- 
fore his mother had breakfast ready, he came run- 
ning into the house with the scrip in his hand, and 
said "Mother I knew I would find it this morning." 
She said, "Why Eugene, how did you know you 
would find it ?" "Why, because I asked God to 
help me find it, and I knew I would find it." O, 
what an example of faith in prayer ! "I asked 
God to help me find it, and I knew I would find 
it." "I knew — " Not I hoped, desired or thought 
I might find it, but "I knew" — it was positive, and 
as an evidence of his faith, he arises early and runs 
dut with all haste, and finds it. Jesus says, "a 
little shall lead them." And little children often 
leach us very important lessons. O, that we might 
always have like faith in $ur prayers. He has al- 
ways been a boy of great faith in prayer, and he 
has had many remarkable answers to prayer. He 
is now a minister of the gospel and has charge of a 
Lutheran congregation in the city of Bridgeton, 
New Jersey. 

Here I also saw what liquor would do. On a 
certain Saturday a middle aged family living a 
couple of miles from town, received word that the 
wife's mother, living up the valley, in or near 
Green Village, had died and the funeral would 
take place on Sabbath morning. That afternoon 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 69 

the parents left home for the house of mourning, 
leaving their children who were grown up, to take 
care of things at home, and come to the funeral 
next morning. Saturday evening was most beau- 
tiful and moon light, and the eldest son, a young 
man, accompanied by a neighboring young man, 
came to Leesburg on horse back, he desiring to 
buy a pair of black gloves to wear at his grand- 
mother's funeral next day. But unfortunately these 
two young men stopped at the hotel, and there 
met two neighboring young men, and all drank 
pretty freely. About nine o'clock the two on 
horse back started for home pretty full. Just in 
front of our house, the young man who purchased 
the gloves either fell, or was thrown from his horse 
which either kicked him, or stepped on him, and 
then ran home. The young man arose and said 
he was not hurt, then walked twenty-five rods and 
sat down in a fence corner. His comrade left him 
there, and rode home. The other two soon started 
for home in a buggy, and when they passed this 
man, they stopped, and asked him to get into the 
buggy and ride home with them, but he made no 
reply, when one of them swore — "He is too drunk 
to ride," and they drove home, and left him there. 
When they arrived at home, they related these cir- 
cumstances to a young man, who was spending 
the evening with the family, and who was neigh- 
bor to the one who fell from his horse. This 
man remarked — "perhaps he is hurt" — and being 



IJO A WONDER OF GRACE. 

alarmed, he hastened out of the house, mounted 
his horse, and started in pursuit of his friend, ac- 
companied by one of these young men, and when 
they arrived on the spot, they iound this man dead 
in the fence corner. He was a son of a good, re- 
spectable family, and was not in the habit of drink- 
ing, but these young men got him drunk, and then 
left him to die alone in the fence corner. Surely 
"The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel," 
Prov. xii. 10 And we see here, too, the evil effects 
of bad company. O, what news to a fond mother, 
who expected to attend the funeral of her own 
dear mother, accompanied by her entire family, 
but is now called upon to hasten home at once, 
because of the death of her first born son, and was 
denied the privilege of attending her mother's 
funeral at all. And then to be informed of the cir- 
cumstances of his death. How sad indeed !. It 
was enough to break a mother's heart, to have a 
son die thus. And what a warning to his com- 
rades ! But what will strong drink not do ? and 
yet our government will legalize the sale of it, and 
protect the rum seller, in this hellish traffic, of ruin- 
ing the souls and bodies, of his fellow-man. O, 
when will this curse be done away with, by our 
authorities ? 

In the fall, accompanied by my wife I drove 
up the valley to the Hagerstown Circuit, Rev. H. 
H. Ream, pastor, to officiate at a Quarterly meet- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 171 

ing by appointment of the Presiding Elder. I also 
officiated at a Quarterly in Carlisle. 

On this Circuit I had my first experience at 
baptizing by Immersion. A number of the con- 
verts at Leesburg desired to be immersed, so I ap- 
pointed a certain Sabbath afternoon to attend to 
this ordinance, and requested all who desired to be 
immersed to meet at the house of a friend near a 
certain mill-pond at two o'clock. When I arrived 
at the place. I found a large crowd assembled to 
witness the ceremony, as there generally is. The 
subjects to be baptized were at the house near by. 
The afternoon was most beautiful. I went to the 
house, met the subjects for baptism, and we 
marched in regular procession to the bank of the 
stream, singing, — "Yes, we will gather at the 
River," etc. Here we held religious services, and 
then I waded into the stream, and went to work. 
I do not remember the number I baptized. Some 
were baptized once backward ; others after the 
mode of the Dunkards, kneeling in the water, and 
immersed three times forward, once in each name 
of the Trinity. Others knelt in the water and I 
poured the water on their heads, with my hand. 
All passed off pleasantly. At first I dreaded it, 
but as soon as I stepped into the water, all fear left 
me, and I enjoyed the services very well. But 
why this difference of opinion on the mode of 
baptism ? And why cater to the notions of every 
one ? Why not have a fixed mode and practice 



172 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

that and that only ? I do not believe in trying to 
suit ourselves to the notions of every one, on so 
important an ordinance of the church. 

Here I also joined the "Independent order of 
Odd Fellows," Manor Lodge, No. 560, in February 
1869. Our third daughter was born, here in Lees- 
burg, May 24th, 1869, and received the name of 
Sallie Emma. 

Thus closed my second year on the Big Spring 
Circuit, and a good work was accomplished. The 
first year we rebuilt the Leesburg Church, had one 
hundred conversions, and enlarged the field, and 
work to such an extent, as to make it a two- 
handed circuit, as it required two men to do the 
work needed. Also started two brethren in the 
ministry, and three ol the converts became minis- 
ters of the gospel. The second year Brother Bentz 
and myself got along very pleasantly together and 
had sixty-five conversions. Also started the build- 
ing of a church in Mifflin township, which was 
completed the next summer. I preached five 
hundred and eighteen sermons in the two years. 
Truly a great work, and we became very much 
attached to the people and place, and it was with 
difficulty that we could tear ourselves away Irom 
them. But so the "fates" decreed, as our two 
years, which was then the limit, had now expired, 
and we must leave. So good-by, dear friends, we 
must part, perhaps only to meet in the eternal 
world. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 73 



CHAPTER XIV. 

CONFERENCE IN WILLIAMSPORT, PA. AP- 
POINTED TO CONEWAGO CIRCUIT, YORK 
COUNTY, PA. BUILD A NEW CHURCH. 
EXCITING TIME AT CAMP-MEET- 
ING. ETC, ETC. 

This spring, March, 1870, conference met in 
Williamsport again. On Sabbath at 10 A. M. I 
preached in the 3rd Street M. E. Church, by ap- 
pointment of conference. When the stationing 
committee reported, I was appointed to Conewago 
Circuit, York County, with head quarters in 
Lewisberry. Shortly after conference a deep 
snow fell, so I filled my sleigh with canned fruit 
and drove down on Saturday to fill my first ap- 
pointments on Sabbath, and make arrangements 
to move. I filled my appointments on Sabbath, 
then left the sleigh, and rode the horse home, on 
Monday, then hitched to the buggy, when we 
moved. We moved by rail to Mechanicsburg, and 
from there by wagons to Lewisberry, where we 
found a very pleasant home rented for us. There, 
for the first time in our ministry, the friends turned 
out to greet us, and gave us a grand reception, 
which was very encouraging to myself and family. 
I enjoyed this circuit as well as any I ever served, 



J 74 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

except "Buffalo." During my first year we built 
a new stone church near the home of Brother 
John Parks, and it is known as the "Emanuels 
Church." The building of this church was largely 
due to the hearty co-operation, and energetic 
efforts of Brother John Parks. Rev. H. B. Hartz- 
ler and Rev. U. F. Swengel assisted at the dedi- 
cation, and it was dedicated free of debt. I held a 
number of protracted meetings during the winter, 
and we had a camp-meeting in August, on "Polk 
Hill," near the Emanuels Church. As a result of 
these meetings we had sixty-five conversions. In 
the fall I was called upon to preach a funeral ser- 
mon for a young man who died under most dis- 
tressing circumstances. He was about fifteen 
years of age. The circumstances of his death 
were as follows : He in company with a neighbor- 
ing young man, each having a revolver and a bot- 
tle of whiskey, spent the Sabbath in drinking, 
shooting and carousing until night, when he was 
accidentally shot. The ball penetrated the throat 
near the larynx and lodged in the back of the 
neck, where it could not be removed. He lived 
fifteen days, when he died of starvation, after most 
extreme suffering, being unable to swallow any 
food, except a little liquid, the first few day. How 
terrible to starve to death with a craving appetite, 
and plenty in the house. He would beg for some- 
thing to eat, and yet when given him he was un- 
able to take it. As he spent his last Sabbath, so 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 175 

he died without repentance, and without hope. 
How sad for the family and how terrible for the 
young man himself! What a warning, to boys and 
young men, against carrying pistols, drinking 
whiskey, and violating the Holy Sabbath. In 
three months from the day of his funeral, I preach- 
ed the funeral sermon for his mother, who died ot 
a broken heart on account of his tragic and impen- 
itent death. Surely, "The way of the transgressor 
is hard and the sinner is a plague to his own fam- 
ily." 

In the fall on invitation I visited Mifflin 
Township, Cumberland County, to assist at the 
dedication of the new church, built where we had 
been locked out of the school house the year be- 
fore, but had succeeded in organizing a congrega- 
tion and secured the money on subscription to 
build the church before I left the circuit. The 
church was now completed and ready for dedica- 
tion, which duty I had the pleasure of performing. 
To my great joy I found all the converts faithful 
to the Master. Sister Hastier one of the old 
members, had crossed over to the promised land. 
Gone to rest. I was accompanied by my wife 
and on our way home we made a very pleasant 
visit in Leesburg. In September, myself and wife 
visited my sister and family, and also my eldest 
brother's son in Philadelphia. We also went to 
Wilmington, Delaware. This was our only visit 
to the city, and the farthest either of us have ever 



176 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

been from home. At this time there was a great 
excitement in our church on the subject of Entire 
Sanctification. It was preached, and urged, as a 
special instantaneous, and perfect work. This 
excitement ran so high in the church, and with 
many of the preachers, that a man, and especially 
a preacher was hardly considered a christian, 
unless he professed Entire Sanctification. I had 
never imbibed, preached, or believed this doctrine 
but believed and preached that Sanctification 
begins in Regeneration, and is progressive. Pro- 
gressing through life, sometimes called the devel- 
oping or progressive system. "First the blade, 
then the ear, after that, the full corn in the ear." 
Or the "Babe in Christ, then the young man, and 
finally the Father, in Israel," or a constant growth 
in grace, and the divine life. But this was hardly 
considered Scriptural, or Orthodox, by many now. 
In August I was ordered to the York camp-meet- 
ing, out the Plank Road, below the city of York. 
Here but little was preached, except this special 
work and all the preachers present professed to 
enjoy this special blessing, but myself. Two 
benches were set out, one for seekers of justifica- 
tion, and the other for the members to kneel at as 
seekers of Entire Sanctification. I could not fall 
in with these views, and methods, but being a new 
man at the camp, I was given some of the most 
important appointments, and preached with good 
success, and apparently to the satisfaction of the 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 77 

people in general. I was even appointed to 
preach the communion sermon, and did so. From 
here we came to my camp on "Polk Hill," near 
Lewisberry. Here they preached the same doc- 
trine,but it was new to my people, and did not take 
so well. They did not get so far as to use the two 
benches, and had no need of them. I had too 
much influence with my people, for the preachers 
to run away with them on that subject, and when 
the brother who preached on Saturday afternoon 
stated in his sermon that all the preachers on the 
stand enj'03'ed and professed entire sanctification, 
but Dietterich, it was too much for my people to 
endure. Unknown to me, they appealed to the 
Presiding Elder, as soon as the congregation was 
dismissed and Demanded, that I be appointed to 
preach on Sabbath, as they considered me publicly 
assailed, and whether I was entirely sanctified or 
not, they could not tell, but they knew I could 
preach with any of them, and I must be heard on 
Sabbath. The Elder reasoned with them, telling 
them that it was contrary to custom for a man to 
preach at his own camp, and especially on Sabbath; 
that he had all his arrangements made for the 
Sabbath, and all his men appointed to preach, and 
notified to that effect. But all to no purpose; their 
preacher had been publicly assailed, and he must 
be heard, and they knew he could help hfeiself. 
They insisted so strongly, that the Elder was 
obliged to yield. He then came to me, saying, 



178 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

"Brother Dietterich, I have all my arrangements 
made and my men appointed for to-morrow, and 
notified to that effect, but you must preach some- 
time to-morrow " I said, why, what is the matter 
now ? He then told me of the interview he had 
with the members above referred to. This was 
the first I knew any thing about it. I replied, no 
you carry out your programme. I preach for them 
every two weeks, they can hear me some other 
time. "But it will not do, you must preach some- 
time to-morrow. You select your own hour. You 
can preach in my place in the morning or any time 
you choose, but you must preach. The people 
will not stand it. That remark of the brother 
who preached this afternoon, was too much for 
them," was his reply. I said, it must do ; I will 
not preach to-morrow. "Well, then you preach 
the communion sermon, and I will announce it 
every service, until that time." I replied, no, I 
preached the communion sermon at the York 
camp. "Well, but you must preach sometime. 
Then, when will you preach ? Choose your own 
time, and I will publish it at every service." I then 
replied, I will preach the last night of the camp. I 
know it is a time when preachers generally do not 
like to preach, because of the noisy crowd, that 
generally gathers at that time, but I do not fear it. 
"Well, then I will publish it every service up to 
that time," and he did so. It occasioned quite an 
excitement, and was the subject of conversation at 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 79 

the camp, and in the entire community, and when 
Tuesday evening came, the grove was thronged 
with the multitudes,who had come to hear that man 
preach, who was not yet wholly sanctified. But 
I was hale and hearty, with good lung force, and 
an excellent voice. I knew the circumstances, and 
had the sympathies, and prayers of the people. I 
had also prayed much for myself, and had no fears. 
After the trumpet had sounded, to call the people 
together for the services, and while sitting on the 
stand and the multitudes came flocking in, a good 
brother, with whom I had preached my first year, 
and who has since been editor of the church paper 
for several years, after which he was in Japan, in 
charge of their Mission work and is now a Pre- 
siding Elder, was sitting by my side. He laid his 
hand on my knee and looking me in the face said, 
"O, Brother Dietterich, but I do pity you." I said, 
why ? "O, you will have such a noisy crowd to 
preach to." I replied, that will be all right. I 
know these people, and am known of them. Have 
no fears. The service began, and all the people 
came as close to the stand as possible, eager to 
hear. I announced the hymn, and during the 
opening prayer the mighty power of God came 
down upon the congregation, and upon mpself, 
and I arose from my knees feeling qualified of 
God, for the occasion. After singing another 
hymn, I announced my text, as follows : "Is not 
my word, like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a 



l8o A WONDER OF GRACE. 

hammer, that breaketh the rock in pieces." Jere- 
miah xxiii. 29. God blessed me powerfully, and 
for one hour and fifteen minutes, I held the assem- 
bled multitude spell bound. After I sat down, the 
same brother above referred to, said to me again, "I 
did not believe there was a man living, who could 
hold the attention of that congregation, but you did 
it." All acknowledged that Dietterich, by the 
grace of God, came off victorious. I visited that 
community thirteen years aiterwards, and that 
sermon was yet spoken of. I was in that com- 
munity again in 1888, being eighteen years after- 
wards, and it was yet spoken of by some of the 
older people who were present at the time. To 
God be all the praise. 

I would also mention the sad death of Brother 
William Fisher, the Sunday school superintendent 
in Yocumtown, w T hich occured July 3rd, 1870. I 
preached there in the school house on Saturday 
evening, it being my regular appointment. This 
brother was present and enjoyed the services very 
much, as he usually did. After the congregation 
was dismissed, he came to me and we had a very 
pleasant conversation as we walked together on 
the street, and when we parted I promised, at his 
urgent request, to take dinner with him in two 
weeks, when I preached there again at ten o'clock, 
if we lived so long, and we bade each other good 
night. I was accompanied by my wife and we 
remained in town over ni^ht. On Sabbath morn- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. l8l 

ing we proceeded to Newberry where I preached 
at ten o'clock. About nine o'clock Brother 
Fisher, who lived in Yocumtown, started for Sun- 
day school, apparently in perfect health. He was 
bright and cheerful. His wife said he started oft 
on a little trot, like a boy, smiling as he said, "good 
by, we will meet at preaching after Sunday school 
is over." He opened the school by reading the 
hymn beginning, 

' 'Amazing grace, how sweet the sound 

That saved a wretch like me. 
I once was lost, but now am found. 

Was blind but now I see." 

He read the first two lines a second time, 
when all arose to sing, and while singing the 
second line, he fell to the floor and died in a few 
minutes without a struggle or uttering a word. 
Rev. Mixel of the Bethel Church was to preach 
immediately after Sabbath school. He was 
present Saturday evening when I preached and 
was in the school when this brother dropped dead. 
We had staid at the same place over night. I 
was greatly shocked on Monday morning when 
they sent for me to attend the funeral. He was 
an excellent Christian brother and a member of 
the U. B. Church, in the prime of life. O, how 
uncertain is life. Yet how blessed for him and 
what a comfort to his family and friends, that he 
had so lived that no one doubted his salvation, lor 
he had led a christian life without a doubt to the 
mind of any who knew him. He left a wife and a 



1 82 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

family of small children. I attended the funeral 
and his wife insisted that I should take dinner with 
them, as I had promised him to do, and I did so. 

While at this funeral, July 5th, we received a 
telegram, informing us of the death of my wife's 
father, Mr. George Evans, of Evansville, Columbia 
county. He died very happy. He lay on his bed 
while all in the room were expecting every breath 
to be his last, when he raised up and looked upon 
every one in the room with a smile, and said — "I 
think I hear Jesus say, come home. Glory be to" — 
and his spirit was gone to the God whom he had 
served for man)/ years. 

"O, how blest the righteous, when he dies, 
When sinks the weary soul to rest. ' ' 

No wonder one exclaims, "Let me die the 
death of the righteous. And let my last end be 
like his." 

I was but a small boy, when the Evangelics 
first began to preach in our neighborhood. They 
had no churches but preached in school houses, and 
sometimes in private houses. They met with 
considerable opposition and their meetings were 
characterized by considerable excitement and 
bodily exertions. When I was a boy of nine years 
they held a meeting of several weeks in an old log 
house one mile from father's. Father did not 
attend but one evening, and I accompanied him. 
The house was a long one and we entered the 
door which was near the end of the building, and 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 83 

could get no farther, as it was full. Behind the 
door was a ladder to go up stairs instead of 
steps. The meeting was conducted by Revs. 
Vallershamp and Emanuel Kohr. I remember 
nothing of the service, except the chorus. They 
sang, "Turn to the Lord and seek Salvation, etc." 
The meeting got pretty lively, and alter a while 
a man began to jump and shout quite near 
where we stood, and three or four tried to 
hold him, but could not. I became alarmed and' 
climbed the ladder up stairs and cried like a good 
fellow. Father then came to me and said, "we better 
go home," and I was glad to get out, and neither 
of us ever went back again. Father said, "They 
are like a pack of wolves, when they get into a 
flock of sheep, they yell and howl until they get 
every one of them." Others said, "It is but a 
straw fire and will soon go out." But for years 
there have been five churches within five miles of 
that old house, where there was not one at that 
time. The man who so frightend me that night, 
afterwards became my father-in-law and went to 
heaven with a shout. 

Thus ended my first year on the circuit, and a 
good work was accomplished. We built a new 
church and paid for it. Our meetings resulted in 
sixty-five conversions, and the work of the Lord 
was generally revived over the entire charge. 
But the time for conference is here and I must go. 
During the winter my eldest son, J. Eugene, now 



184 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

twelve years of age, while going to school earned 
three dollars by chopping wood for his aunt, he 
now gave me the money and requested me to get 
"The Libby Prison Hymn" printed, and then sell 
them, and give him the proceeds. I thought the 
idea a good one for a boy, and so got the "Crider 
Brothers" to print us a lot of them, and I sang 
them on my charge and at the different camp- 
meetings, and realized eighteen dollars from the sale 
of them, which was a nice profit for the boy, be- 
sides the good they accomplished. That they 
accomplished good, I have no doubt, for nineteen 
years afterwards, while serving the Rossville 
charge ot the Evangelical Lutheran church, an old 
Father in Israel died, and though a member of a 
sister denomination, on his death bed requested his 
family to get me to preach his funeral sermon and 
sing the "Libby Prison Hymn" at his funeral. I 
here Insert the hymn as a relic of the past. 

LIBBY PRISON HYMN. 

This hymn was found in a written form on the dead body of a 
local Methodist preacher, who was a soldier and died in Libby Prison, 
and it is supposed was composed by him, while in prison. 

I am a poor wayfaring stranger, 

I'm journeying through this world of woe. 

There are no sorrows, toils, or danger, 
In that bright world to which I go. 

Chorus. — I'm am going there to see my father, 
I'm going there no more to roam, 
I'm just a-going over Jordan, 
I'm just a-going over home. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 85 

I know dark clouds will gather o'er me, 

I know my path is hard and steep, 
But beauteous fields lie just before me. 

Where God's redeemed their vigils keep. 

Chorus. — I'm going there to see my mother, 

She said she'd meet me when I come, 
I'm just a-going over Jordan, 
I'm just a-going over home. 

I feel my sins are all forgiven, 

My hopes are fixed on things above. 

I'm going away to that blest haven, 
Where all is peace and joy and love. 

Chorus. — I'm going there to see my children, 

I know they're near my Father's throne, 
I'm just a-going over Jordan, 
I'm just a-going over home. 

I want to sing salvation's story, 

In concert with the blood-washed band, 

I want to wear a crown of glory, 
When I get home to that good land. 

Chorus. — I'm going there to see my classmates, 
They're gone before me one by one, 
I'm just a-going over Jordan, 
I'm just a-going over home. 

I'll soon be free from every trial, 
My body sleep in the old church yard, 

I'll drop the cross of self denial, 
And enter on my rich reward. 

Chorus. — I'm going there to see my Savior, 

To sing his praise in Heaven's dome, 
I'm just a-going over Jordan. 
I'm just a-going over home. 



1 86 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XV. 

CONFERENCE IN YORK. REAPPOINTED TO 

CONEWAGO CIRCUIT BUILT A NEW 

CHURCH AT YOCUMTOWN. HAPPY 

DEATH OF A YOUNG LADY. MR. 

WOODEN'S ACCIDENTAL 

DEATH. ETC., ETC. 

Conference met in York this spring, 1871. At 
this conference I was reappointed to the Cone- 
wago Circuit. During the year we built a fine 
Union Church in Yocumtown, and dedicated it 
free of debt. Rev. J. H. Menges, of the Evan- 
gelical Lutheran Church, in York, preached the 
dedicatory sermon. In August we held another 
camp in the grove of Brother John Parks, gener- 
ally known as "Polk Hill." But we had no ex- 
citement on the special work of Entire Sanctifica- 
tion, as we had the previous year ; ministers had 
cooled down somewhat on that subject, and 
rightly too. I do not believe that sinless perfec- 
tion is attainable in this life. It so, one petition in 
our Lord's Prayer, as taught us, is useless, as we 
have no need of praying daily, "Forgive us our 
trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass 
against us." If perfect, we have no "trespasses" 
to forgive, or of which to be forgiven, and why 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 87 

should Christ teach us such a petition ? I was per- 
sonally acquainted with the two ministers, who 
lead off in this special movement, and excitement, 
and perhaps the first to profess and preach it, one 
of whom, I myself heard claim, that he was so 
perfect, that he could not sin. They have since 
both served a term in the penitentiary for crim'e, 
and one of them, I have been told, died in the pen- 
etentiary. "Let him thatthinketh he standeth take 
heed lest he fall," i Cor. x. 12. They were 
both expelled from the church and ministry. 

This year I had the pleasure of attending a 
camp-meeting near Bendersville, Adams County, 
on the Gettysburg Circuit, Rev. J. M. Price, pas- 
tor. I superintended this camp by appointment of 
the Presiding Elder, Rev. C. F. Deininger, now de- 
ceased, who could not be present. I had served 
this circuit from the Spring of 1866 to 1867, four 
years ago, with great acceptability and success, and 
it afforded me great pleasure to spend a week with 
them at camp-meeting, where I would have the 
opportunity of again greeting my old friends and 
acquaintances, and I was most heartily welcomed 
by them. I preached my first sermon on Friday 
afternoon from Daniel xii. 3, and we had a very 
good meeting. After the congregation was dis- 
missed, quite a number came to me to shake hands, 
calling me "Brother Dietterich," but when I could 
not recognize them they would say, "Why don't 
you know me ! I was converted at your meeting 



1 88 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

at such or such a place." Indeed, well, I am glad 
to see you, and are you still trying to serve the 
Lord? would be my reply and inquiry, when I in- 
variably received the reply — "O, yes, I am trying 
to." Among them was David A. Day and E. D. 
Weigle, who informed me that they were both 
converted at my meeting in the Cranberry school 
house, and were now studying for the ministry in 
the Lutheran Church, and were only home over 
vacation. These things could not but be very 
cheering to me, so I "thanked God and took cour- 
age." So I think it will be in the next world. 
When I cross over to the promised land, I expect 
many who have long since passed from my mem- 
ory, will take me by the hand, and thank God that 
I had been instrumental, by his blessing, in bring- 
ing them to Jesus at such, or such a place, and then 
together we will bless God for his goodness, and 
talk over our experience, on earth, until we reached 
the happy shore. O, my brethren, and my sons in 
the ministry, will not that be joy indeed, and a suf- 
ficient reward in itself, for all our sell-denials in 
this life ? But this will not be all, for we shall 
"shine like the stars forever and ever." Daniel xii. 3. 
Should not this thought inspire us with renewed 
zeal for the Master? Yea, to do, and to dare, that 
we may "Turn many to righteousness." and thus 
increase our own reward. 

Acting as Presiding Elder, it was • my work to 
assign to the ministers their appointments. I ap- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 89 

pointed Rev. J. G. M. Swengel, a very able minis- 
ter, to preach a German sermon on Sabbath morn- 
ing at nine o'clock, and as acting Presiding Elder, 
I was expected to follow him in English at ten 
o'clock, and did so. Sabbath morning dawned 
clear and beautiful and the multitudes came flock- 
ing in from every direction and by nine o'clock a 
large congregation had assembled, when Brother 
Swengel preached us a very excellent German ser- 
mon. It was "short but sweet." The Germans 
were not very numerous there, and he told me he 
would preach short, and I should take my time to 
it. The people continued to come, and by ten 
o'clock an immense crowd had assembled on the 
seats and in the grove. It was now my time to 
preach. I was in my prime, strong and robust in 
health, with excellent spirits. How could it be 
otherwise, with my old friends before me, so many 
of my spiritual children looking me into the face, 
and the Brethren Day and Weigel on the stand 
with me? I could not help but preach under such 
circumstances. I announced my text as found in 
1 John ii. 20, u But ye have an unction from the 
Holy One, and know all things." My theme was 
the office and influences of the Holy Spirit. God 
blessed me powerfully in preaching, or rather 
preached powerfully through me, to the people. 
When about half through with my sermon, the 
Divine power appeared to go out into the grove 
until the straggling multitude had all gathered in 



T90 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

from the grove and stood in one solid body from 
the pulpit out. Not one straggler was left in the 
woods. The Divine "unction," or annointing, now 
came. The Holy Ghost was poured out upon us, 
as on the day of Pentecost. Shouts broke forth 
on the stand, among the ministers, and the mighty 
wave rolled out through the altar, into the congre- 
gation, until old and young were filled unutterably 
full of the Holy Ghost, and with power. Gray 
headed fathers and mothers leaped like children, 
and with loud voice and clapping of hands, praised 
God, before the sermon was finished. "The joy of 
Jerusalem was heard afar off." Brother Day made 
the closing prayer, and the people were so spell 
bound that they did not disperse lor dinner for 
some time after the Benediction had been pro- 
nounced. It was a complete victory and one of 
the most powerful manifestations of the Spirit's 
power I ever witnessed. Some people are very 
much opposed to such bodily demonstrations, but 
for my part, I am not, if the work be real and gen- 
uine, I think we have scripture passages, and scrip- 
ture examples sufficient to justify it. Take, for in- 
stance, the scene on the day of Pentecost, Acts ii. 
1-13. While I never felt to do so myself, and 
while I believe with some, it is but hypocricy, and 
with others due to too much excitement and left 
run too tar, or go to extremes, I also believe that 
some are so filled with the Divine power, that they 
cannot control themselves, as it was on the day of 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 191 

Pentecost, or like Paul, that they "know not 
whether in the body, or out of the body," at least 
for the time. 2 Cor. xii. 2. While I never urge 
people to shout, or to become noisy or boisterous, 
I never tell them to "hold their peace," lest I should 
"quench the spirit." I think these things should 
be very carefully handled, lest we give offense. 
Yet they should be controled, at least to some extent. 
I always did so in my congregations, and so man- 
aged to avoid extremes, and check anything like 
"wild-fire." This day at the Bendersville camp, was 
a day long to be remembered. 

I so increased the work on my circuit, and so 
enlarged the field by taking up new appointments 
and developing the old ones, that I was no longer 
able to do the work and serve the charge alone, 
and so applied to the Presiding Elder for help in 
the Fall. The Elder appointed Rev. A. W. Bower 
as my assistant, who came to my help, December 
first. Brother Bower was a fine young man and 
an able preacher. We had been born and brought 
up but three miles apart. He was converted and 
received into church, when but a small boy and 
was but about eighteen years old when he came to 
my assistance, and was known as "The boy 
preacher." He labored very acceptably on the 
circuit until conference. Five years afterwards he 
was sent as missionary to the Pacific coast, and 
two years later he withdrew from the church and 
united with the Congregationalists and is now 



192 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

serving a congregation in that denomination out 
there. 

In the Fall I was called on to preach a funeral 
sermon for a Mr. Woodden, who was accidentally 
shot. He was carrying a double-barreled shotgun 
on his shoulder, when he accidently stepped on a 
small round stick and slipped, which caused the 
gun to fall from his shoulder and it discharged as it 
struck the ground, the charge taking effect in his 
heel, and lodged in the instep of the foot. He lin- 
gered a few days and died of lock jaw. He was 
buried in the Quaker burying ground, one mile 
above RossvilJe, and they refusing to open the 
meeting house for us, I preached the sermon, stand- 
ing by the side of the coffin in the grove in front of 
the meeting house. 

The last Sabbath before conference I preached 
two funeral sermons, and my farewell sermon, in 
the church in Yocumtown. The first was at ten 
o'clock, for an aged man by the name of Reeser. 
He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and took an 
active part in it, having a horse shot under him. 
His funeral was very largely attended. One of his 
comrades in arms was present, and occupied a 
chair by his side in front of the pulpit during the 
services. At two o'clock I preached for a small 
child, and in the evening my farewell sermon. At 
Newberry I preached regularly in the school 
house to a nice congregation, but the membership 
was quite small. They have a church and a good 

\ 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 93 

congregation there now. The evening I preached 
my farewell sermon there, before I dismissed the 
congregation I stated that our time with them was 
now expired, and thanked them kindly for their 
kindness shown to us during our stay with them, 
and then remarked, that there were yet ten dollars 
due me on salary, but supposed they had done the 
best for me they could, and I was satisfied, but if 
any of them felt like doing anything more for me 
they could do so after I had dismissed. I said it is 
needed, and would be thankfully received. An 
outsider arose at once and said, "He has done his 
duty, and served us faithfully, and should be paid. 
We outsiders will pay five dollars, if the members 
will pay the other five." It was done in a few 
minutes, when I had my salary in full, thanked 
them kindly for it, pronounced the Benediction, 
and bade them farewell. 

Here I visited a young lady, who was near the 
point of death with consumption. I inquired of her as 
to her prospects for the future, when she assured me 
all was well. I then knelt by her bed side and 
offered prayer, alter which I sang, "Jesus paid it 
all, all the debt I owe," etc. While I sang she 
was filled with the love of God and praised him 
with a loud voice, and clapping her hands for joy 
said, "Yes, Jesus paid it all, all the debt I owe, 
sin had left a crimson stain, He washed me white 
as snow." I bade her farewell, and in a few days 



194 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

she expired. O how "Bless't the righteous when 
he dies." 

" 'Tis religion, that can give, sweetest pleasures while we live, 
'Tis religion will supply solid comfort when we die." 

We had a goodly number of conversions and 
ascessions at our meetings during the winter. 
Spring ended my two years on this circuit, and 
that being the limit, I must leave. I spent two 
years here very pleasantly, built two churches, and 
like Big Spring, found it a single handed circuit, 
when I came, and enlarged it to a double handed 
circuit before I left. The friends treated us very 
kindly. This year two buildings burnt down quite 
close to where we lived. The one was the house 
of Mr. Burger Jennings, brother-in-law to Rev. A. 
H. Irwin. The other was the stable of Mr. 
Rynolds. Here our fourth daughter was born, 
July 17th, 187 1, and received the name of Tillie 
Gertrude. 

On this circuit I married twenty-four couples, 
and preached forty-two funeral sermons, eleven in 
five families of croup and diptheria. I preached 
five hundred and seven sermons in the two years. 
I always preached Saturday evening and three 
times on Sabbath. And every two w T eeks on 
Thursday evening, having nine regular appoint- 
ments, which I served every two weeks. 

I had one wedding here, which was a little 
trying and yet amusing. On Saturday evening a 
young man came to me and asked me whether I 
could marry him at our house on Sabbath evening. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 95 

I replied, I can, but not before about nine o'clock, 
as I have preaching at the Emanuel's Church, but 
I can be home by that time. He said, "all right, 
we will be here." So I hastened home immedi- 
ately after service, and we waited until eleven 
o'clock, but they did not come. So we retired. 
The next week I chanced to meet him, when I 
said, you rather disappointed us on Sabbath eve- 
ning. "Yes we had not looked at the almanac 
until I got home, and when we did so, we found it 
was in the decrease of the moon, and the sign was 
in the crab. So we thought, if we got married 
then, we would go backwards all our life like the 
crab, but now we will be married at such a house 
and have dinner and we want you to come and 
marry us there." "O superstition." I went at the 
appointed time and found a house full of people 
and had a very pleasant time. So, though we had 
lost a little sleep on Sabbath evening, we now had 
a turkey roast, and a most excellent dinner. So all 
is not lost that may appear to be in danger, and I 
hope they went forward all their days. 

I enjoyed my two years very much on this 
circuit, was treated very kindly, blessed with good 
health, and had good success. I would have been 
pleased to remain longer, but this the itinerant 
system would not allow, so I bade them good-by 
and left for conference, knowing I would be obliged 
to move. But O where. Echo only answered — 
"where." 



I96 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

CONFERENCE IN BALTIMORE, MD. SUCCESS- 
FUL MISSIONARY MEETINGS. APPOINTED 
TO CUMBERLAND CIRCUIT, CUMBER- 
LAND COUNTY. REBUILT THE 
KUTZ CHURCH. ETC. 

Conference again convened in the Green 
Street Evangelical Church, Baltimore, Md. ? the 
first Thursday in March, 1872. It was custo- 
mary at our conferences, to have a sermon 
preached on the subject of missions and after the 
sermon to solicit subscribtions. And we generally 
succeeded verv well on such occasions. The min- 
isters, though they did not receive large salaries, 
yet contributed quite liberally to , missions, and 
their contributions were largely given at these con- 
ference meetings. At this conference, the Sab- 
bath was devoted to the work of missions, and the 
evening to the ordination oi the young ministers, 
to whom ordination had been voted. We have 
two ordinations. A young man is first received 
on probation, and not having been previously 
educated for the ministry, a regularly prescribed 
course of study, covering four years, is given him. 
If at the end of two years on examination he is 
accounted worthy, he is ordained Deacon, when he 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 97 

is invested with all the functions of a minister of 
the gospel. But previous to this, that is his first 
two years, he is only authorized to preach, and dare 
not perform the marriage ceremony, baptize or ad- 
minister the communion. If at the end of two 
years more he is found faithful and worthy, he is 
ordained Elder and now only is he in full con- 
nection and eligible to any office in the ministry. 
Hence at the same time some are ordained deacons 
and others elders, the one having traveled two, and 
the other four years. At this conference, we had 
the most successful missionary meeting I ever 
attended. The subscriptions and collections in the 
morning, amounted to one thousand dollars, and 
at the children's meeting in the aiternoon it was 
eight hundred dollars, or eighteen hundred in all. 
Of this amount one man gave five hundred, but 
only one hundred in his own name. As in all con- 
gregations, they had quite a number of poor mem- 
bers, who were unable to give much, so for their 
encouragement, he would tell this one privately, 
you subscribe so much, and another so much, and 
he gave liberally at the childrens meeting for their 
encouragement, until the above amount was 
reached. On Monday this same brother came 
into conference and donated notes, amounting to 
three thousand dollars, being his claim against our 
Mission Church, in Washington, D. C, making a 
total of four thousand, and eight hundred dollars, for 
missions during that conference ; three thousand 



igS A WONDER OF GRACE. 

five hundred irom this one man. O for more 
such men, in all our churches. I was slightly 

acquainted with this man and have been to see him 
in his home. The brother by whom I was enter- 
tained during conference, and who was also well 
fixed, informed me, that this man was a poor 
house boy, and started in the world without one 
cent to begin with, but he became a christian in his 
youth, and when he began life for himself, he 
promised to give one tenth of his income to the 
Lord, and did so. He began as a baker in Balti- 
more, by purchasing a barrel of flour, and peddled 
his bread through the city on a wheel-barrow. The 
Lord prospered him, and he continued baking 
and increasing his business, and branched out 
into the pickeling and canning business, and at 
that time was supposed to be worth near two 
millions of dollars. Surely, what is given unto 
the Lord, is not lost, and we see in his case the 
truth of the promise of the Lord Jesus — "give 
and it shall be given unto you, good measure, 
pressed down, and shaken together, and run- 
ning over." Luke vi. 38. 

At this conference I was assigned to Cumber- 
land Circuit, Cumberland County, with parsonage 
in New Kingston. We moved to Kingston on 
wagons, and when we arrived at the parsonage we 
found it filled with kind friends, awaiting our arri- 
val, while the table fairly groaned under the load 
of good things, which furnished all with a most ex- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 1 99 

cellent dinner. They gave us a grand reception. 
Cumberland was a most pleasant and convenient 
circuit, consisting of Kingston, Kutzes church and 
Middlesex. Three appointments, and they were 
not far apart, and most excellent roads. In Kings- 
ton we had a fine church and parsonage. At Mid- 
dlesex we preached in a school house, but they 
now have a fine church there. The Kutzes Church 
was an old brick building and in a delapidated con- 
dition, but a good and wealthy membership. Dur- 
ing the year we rebuilt and enlarged this church, 
making a handsome and commodious church of it, 
which was re-opened and dedicated in December. 
A brother from Harrisburg and member of the 
East Pa. Conference assisted me at the dedication 
and preached the dedicatory sermon. But the 
great draw back on this charge, was a heavy debt 
resting on the parsonage, which also involved the 
Kingston Church. This had arisen through mis- 
management, and caused great dissatisfaction. 
Everything through it, was thrown into confusion 
and theretore it could not be paid at that time As 
a consequence we were threatened with the sheriff, 
before we had been there one week. But by lend- 
ing the congregation one hundred dollars myself, 
we succeeded with difficulty in getting proceedings 
stayed for one year, hoping that conference would 
do something for us at its next meeting. The debt 
was finally paid, and the property secured to the 
church, but it occasioned great trouble, and I did 



200 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

not get my money for some time, and then only 
little by little, donated part of it, and had a public 
referee with the pastor, which was very unpleasant 
to me, though I was successful in my suit against 
him. This was the only difficulty I ever had with 
any of my brethren in the ministry, but I was com- 
pelled to proceed against him, or lose my money. 

I found this a very pleasant charge with the 
exception of the above difficulty, and the friends 
treated us with the greatest of kindness. Here the 
health of my wife began to fail in the beginning of 
the year, and to lighten her labor I purchased a 
"Singer sewing machine," for which I paid eighty- 
five dollars. Also a "Yankee washer and wringer," 
for twenty dollars. Both were good machines, and 
thus lessening her labor, and with proper medical 
treatment, her health improved until it was fully 
restored again. 

This summer I had the pleasure of attending a 
district Sunday-school convention in Leesburg. 
This was the first convention of the kind ever held 
on the district, and the first convention of the kind 
I had ever attended. I drove up accompanied by 
my eldest son, Eugene. We had an interesting 
convention and a pleasant time. 

The friends in Leesburg informed me of a 
family residing in Jacksonville, two miles from 
Leesburg, whom I had admitted to membership 
while pastor there, stating that the wife was sick 
and that she was very anxious to see me. So on 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 201 

our way home, as we passed her door, we stopped 
at the gate and leaving Eugene in the buggy, I 
entered the sick room and found her in bed almost 
at the end, with that fell destroyer, consumption. 
She was but a young married woman, but I saw at 
once she was very weak and near the end. She 
was very glad to see me. I inquired as to her 
prospects for the future, when she assured me that 
all was well, and spoke very cheerfully of the 
change she knew was so near at hand, and rejoiced 
in the bright hope of soon being with Jesus, to be- 
hold his glory. I sang a verse or too and then 
knelt by her bedside in prayer. While I was pray- 
ing God blessed us powerfully, and she began to 
shout and praise God, with a loud voice and clap- 
ping of hands. I left her shouting. Eugene could 
hear her, as he sat in the buggy out on the street. 
In a few days she breathed her last, and went home 
to glory. O how blessed, thus to die. 

On our way home we stopped to see another 
sick lady, who had sent for me. This family lived 
on my charge. But O, what a contrast. This was 
a young lady about eighteen years of age, now near 
the point of death. The family were not religious, 
and did not even attend church. The father was 
at work in the yard, but did not even speak to me, 
nor come into the house while I was there. The 
mother and grandmother were in the room. I 
talked to her, read the Bible to her, and prayed for 
her, but the dying girl manifested no concern. The 



202 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

mother and grandmother were most deeply affected 
and wept bitterly, but she was unmoved. So I 
left her, and so she died. It was no doubt owing 
to her lack of religious instruction and training, 
and her parents will be responsible for her. O, 
what a fearful account such parents will have to 
give on the last great day ! I went home most 
deeply impressed, with the different state of feel- 
ing of these two persons, both near the point of 
death, and I thought, what a power there is in the 
religion of Jesus Christ. Surely it is worth living 
for, and worth laboring for. O, that all might 
realize its saving power. 

In the fall I attended what was termed a 'vil- 
lage camp," in Carlisle, but we did not accomplish 
much, as the small-pox was raging tearfully in that 
beautiful town at the time, and the red flags, ap- 
prising the passerby of the presence of the small- 
pox in the house, could be seen quite frequently on 
both sides of the street on which the church was 
located. So we were obliged to close the meeting 
at the end of the first week. The small-pox pre- 
vailed to an alarming extent, and many died from 
it. But how many none could tell, as all were 
buried at night without any funeral. 

I also held meetings at all my appointments 
during the winter. In Kingston and Middlesex 
the meetings were quite successful, but I have no 
account of the number of conversions and acces- 
sions. During the meeting in Kingston, the friends 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 203 

at Kutzes and Middlesex made us a surprise dona- 
tion one evening, amounting to seventy dollars. 
This was the first time we had every been treated 
in that way. It came very good to us, and was 
very highly appreciated by us, and apparently very 
much enjoyed by the friends in attendance. The 
now Rev. H. W. Gross, I think, was at the head of 
it. May he be frequently treated in a similar way 
during his ministry, is all I can wish him in return 
for the interest he manifested on this occasion. 

During this meeting there was a certain school 
teacher (whose name I might mention, but will 
not), who was a large, burly looking young man, 
and whose weight was about two hundred, and 
who felt so important that he could scarely get 
clothes to fit him, was teaching school in an adjoin- 
ing district. He was in the habit of coming to 
town every evening and spending part of the even- 
ing in our village school house, with the teacher of 
the primary department of our school. About the 
time preaching would be over, both would come 
into church, take their seats well in front, then sit 
and talk and laugh, during the altar exercises, to 
the annoyance of the congregation, as we had a 
goodly number of penitents forward. This was 
repeated night after night, until my attention was 
called to it one day, by some of the friends and 
patrons of the village school. That evening Rev. 
A. W. Cramer, from Lewisberry, York County, 
was with me, but took no part in the services, as 



204 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

he was suffering from a very sore throat, which 
has since caused his death, though but a young man. 
He was with us overnight. As usual these teachers 
came in and repeated the same act as before. I 
was standing in the altar in front of the pulpit, 
leading in singing, and watched them for some 
time as they sat well up in front. When I thought 
they had gone far enough, as I finished the hymn, 
I looked right at them as they were very busy in 
conversation, and I remarked in a loud voice, 
school teachers — and then paused until they both 
looked up into my face, when I added — should be 
examples, for their scholars. Let us pray. After 
prayer both arose and left the church. When the 
services had closed for the evening all had left but 
Cramer, the sexton and myself, as I generally re- 
mained in the church until the last, so as to cool 
off before going out into the cold, I now started 
out the one aisle, and Cramer followed me, while 
the sexton passed out the other one. When I 
came down into the vestibule, (it being a two story 
church), here, at the foot of the steps, stood the 
two teachers side by side, the big, burly man stand- 
ing first, for he was to be spokesman, and cow me 
down. We bade each other good evening, when 
the following conversation ensued. "Did you have 
reference to us when you spoke up there in the 
church this evening." Yes, sir, I did. "Well I 
am sorry you said it." I am not sorry I said it, 
but I am sorry there was occasion for saying it. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 205 

"I wish you had come to us privately." It was a 
public offence, and it called for a public rebuke. 
"Our conversation was in harmony with the meet- 
ing." I know nothing as to the subject of your con- 
versation, but there was too much hilarity con- 
nected with it, to be of a religious nature, and this 
is not the first evening. You come to town every 
evening and spend the evening in our school-house 
with our teacher here, who teaches our children 
during the day. Then when preaching is 
about over you both come to church, take 
your seats well up in front, and sit and talk 
and laugh all the time. And your scholars, 
who attend church here, look at you, and they say, 
"If the teachers can do so, we can do so too." 
Hence look at the influence which you exert,as I said, 
"teachers should be examples for their scholars." 
My attention was directed to your conduct to-day 
by the patrons of your school, and hence the re- 
buke. "Well, you will not be bothered with us 
very soon again." As you see proper about that. 
You are welcome to come, but you must behave 
yourselves. If not, your room is better than your 
presence. They both said "good night," and left. 
I never saw this man since, but our teacher was 
young and had been led away by this man un- 
thinkingly, and was benefited by this lesson. From 
that evening he attended preaching regularly, came 
in time, sat up well in front, and was a proper 
example for his scholars. When we got home 



206 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

Brother Cramer said, "That was too good. I am 
so glad you handled that teacher as you did. He 
expected to make you back down, but did not suc- 
ceed very well. I had so much trouble with him 
last winter during meeting in Leesburg, he taught 
school up there then, and I could do nothing with 
him." Cramer enjoyed it hugely, as he had been 
out-generaled by him, the winter before. Cramer 
though a young man has since died in Kansas. 

At the request of Brother Cramer I attended 
and officiated at the corner stone laying for a 
church at Newberry, York County, and had a very 
pleasant time of it. It was in the summer some- 
time after harvest. On our way down we stopped over 
night at Father Mergenthallers, on that circuit, in 
whose house I had preached every two weeks for 
two years. It so happened that night, that one of 
his daughters was married, and Brother Cramer 
performed the ceremony. They had quite a wed- 
ding and a very pleasant time. Myself and wife 
were uninvited, and unexpected, but I am sure not 
unwelcome guests. 

In the winter I was sent for to come down to 
Lewisberry to preach the funeral sermon for 
Brother John Cline, one of our old neighbors. The 
funeral was to take place on Sabbath morning at 
the "Emanuel's Church." We went down on 
Saturday afternoon. It was very cold and splendid 
sleighing. We took with us the baby, — Carrie 
and George now a chunk of a boy, who had 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 207 

always been a pet of Mr. Cline's and must attend 
his funeral. We staid over night with Brother 
Parks, who had come up for me. In the night 
George took sick and had a severe attack ot pneu- 
monia, and so could not attend the funeral after all. 
I attended the funeral and in the afternoon re- 
turned home, but was obliged to leave George and 
his mother there for two weeks, before he was 
able to ride home. It was late at night when we 
got home almost frozen. Miss Sallie Evans, my 
wife's sister, accompanied me to take charge of the 
family and do the work, until mother and George 
could come home. When we arrived home we 
found our little daughter Sallie had taken sick on 
Saturday night, just like George, with pneumonia, 
and was also quite bad. But in a few weeks both 
were restored to health and the family again 
united by God's blessing. 

On this charge I became very intimate with 
Rev. Shaffer of the Lutheran Church, also resident 
in Kingston. I preached a sermon in his church 
on Thanksgiving Day, when a union service was 
held. He and I also conducted a union prayer- 
meeting in the different churches during the week 
of prayer. We also held temperance meetings 
and made temperance speeches together in the 
interests of local option, which ran very high at 
that time, and was adopted at the following elec- 
tion for one year. Brother Shaffer, like myself, 
was a very strong temperance man. 



208 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



The year passed very pleasantly on the charge, 
with the exception of the trouble occasioned by 
the parsonage debt. I preached nine funeral ser- 
mons on the circuit, and one hundred and eighty- 
nine sermons in all. I closed my work for the 
year and left for conference. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 209 



CHAPTER XVII. 

CONFERENCE IN LEWISBURG. APPOINTED TO 

PERRY CIRCUIT. SAD DEATH OF 

A YOUNG MAN. ETC 

Conference met in Lewisburg, Union County, 
Pa., March, 1873. At this conference I presented 
the parsonage difficulties on the Cumberland cir- 
cuit, and asked conference to help us out in some 
way, or by some means. But they could do noth- 
ing for us, so I requested to be removed. My re- 
quest was granted and I was appointed to Perry 
Circuit, Perry County, Pa., very much to the dis- 
satisfaction of the friends on Cumberland Circuit. 

Perry Circuit was a large two handed circuit, 
extending from Newport to Stony Point, a distance 
of twenty-five or thirty miles, with parsonage in 
Elliottsburg. We moved by rail to Newport, and 
from there twelve miles to Elliottsburg by wagons. 
The friends turned out and gave us a hearty wel- 
come. Rev. F. M. Baker, a young married man, 
was appointed as my collegue, and moved to 
Newport. 

The day we loaded our goods in the cars at 
Kingston, it snowed and rained all day. As a re- 
sult, I took a severe cold, which resulted in 
catarrh and bronchitis. My health continued to 



2IO A WONDER OF GRACE 

fail until I was hardly able for duty. Yet I met all 
my appointments. I had such severe pain above 
my eyes that I could scarcely see. Read I could 
not. I would frequently take one of the family with 
me to drive for me, then bandage my eyes shut, 
and thus go from appointment to appointment. 
When we arrived at the preaching place I would 
remove the bandage, enter the church or school 
house, as the case might be, and begin the services 
without reading a lesson or announcing a hymn, 
being unable to see well enough to read. After 
singing and prayer, I would announce a familiar 
text, and preach. It was generally supposed and 
widely reported that I was rapidly going into con- 
sumption, which is hereditary in our family. Rev. 
J. Boas, of sainted memory, held a quarterly meet- 
ing in Elliottsburg by appointment of the Elder, in 
the month of April. He said to my wife in my 
absence, "Sister Dietterich, I am sorry to tell you, 
but I do not believe Brother Dietterich will live 
over the summer. I never saw a man fail as he 
has, since I saw him at conference." And this was 
the general opinion. I then purchased twelve dol- 
lars worth of "Sage's Catarrh Remedy," "Pierce's 
Golden Medical Discovery" and "Pellets," and 
went to applying and using them, according to 
directions, and by these, and the prayers of my 
wife, I was fully restored to health in the month of 
May. I do not know which cured me, as I have 
as much faith in her prayers, or even more, than 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 21 1 

in the remedies used. Then, too, my restoration 
came so suddenly, that I believed it to be in 
answer to prayer, rather than by medicine, which 
I think, would have been more gradual. But per- 
haps it was in answer to prayer, that God blessed 
the means, and made them effectual in my case. 
Be that as it may, I blessed God for the cure, and 
thanked him for a wife in whose prayers I have 
confidence. Brother Baker and myself got along 
very pleasantly together. Indeed I never had any 
trouble with my colleague, whether I was junior 
or senior preacher. 

We had no camp-meeting on our circuit, but 
attended some on the district. At the Middleburg 
Camp, in Snyder county, I took dysentary in a 
severe form and was obliged to go home. I suf- 
fered from this, and was under medical treatment 
from August to October, when I fully recovered. 
We had several very successful meetings during 
the winter resulting in sixty-three conversions. 

Among the converts, at our meeting in 
Elliottsburg was Mr. B. F. Anthony, a married 
man who had been desperately wicked according 
to his own confession. He united with the church 
and soon began to preach occasionally, and in a 
little over one year after his conversion, entered the 
active work of the ministry in which he labored 
very successfully until 1886, when he died in Ber- 
lin, Adams County, Pa. He was in the active 
ministry eleven years. The minutes of their con- 



2T2 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



ference, convened in Baltimore, Md., March, 1887, 
contains the following on his death: 

"During the year, death entered the active 
ranks of our conference, and Brother B. F. Anthony 
is no more. His work on earth is finished. 
Brother Anthony began to preach in 1875. He 
was a faithful, active worker in the ministry, and 
a successful pastor. He died in the triumphs of a 
living faith. A wife and six children mourn their 
loss." 

Thus one of my spiritual sons in the ministry 
has gone before. I can see him to-day, as I saw 
him arise in the rear of the church, and come 
boldly down the aisle to the altar, where he hum- 
bly bowed as a seeker of salvation in the church, 
in Elliottsburg. He did a good work on that cir- 
cuit, before he went to conference, which will be 
referred to in the proper place in this book. 

At the end of the year Brother Baker was 
made principal of Union Seminary, located at New 
Berlin, Union County, from 1874 to 1878, when he 
withdrew, and united with the M. E. Church. 

Baliesburg was one of our appointments, 
where we preached in the school house. The 
Methodists also preached in the same house. 
There was but a small membership even of both 
churches. The Methodist minister was holding 
a protracted meeting there, and on Sabbath eve- 
ning the house was crowded full, when some of 
the young men behaved badly. The minister re- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 213 

proved them kindly, but all to no purpose. He 
finally reproved them more sharply, and admon- 
ished and warned them, telling them to improve 
the present moment by seeking the Lord, and 
now prepare to meet their God ; that life was 
short, and uncertain, and concluded by saying, 
"some of your souls may be in hell before to-mor- 
row night, unless you repent." A certain young 
man who was the leader among the boys that eve- 
ning, after meeting accompanied a young lady to 
her home some distance, and after a short conver- 
sation at the gate said, "Good-night Mary, I sup- 
pose the next time you and I meet will be in hell, 
according to what the preacher said to-night." 
And thus they parted, and he walked home, about 
two miles, and went to bed. The next morning 
he arose early, ate breakfast, shouldered his axe 
and went some distance to the woods to cut wood. 

After chopping about a half hour, by a mis- 
stroke, the axe severed an artery in his leg, and 
in ten minutes he was dead. Is it not to be 
feared, that the minister's words came true in the 
case of this young man ? How dreadful, thus to 
die. God will not always be mocked. The 
Psalmist says, "The wicked shall be turned into 
hell, and all the nations that forget God." Psalm 
ix. 17. 

In Newport we had quite an interesting con- 
gregation, and I was selected to preach the open- 
ing sermon in the Reformed Church for a union 



214 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

prayer meeting to be observed by all the churches 
in town, and to meet in the different churches night 
about, during the week of prayer. This was a 
grand success the first year. They closed it with a 
union communion, the second Sabbath. We tried 
it the next year again, but did not succeed so well. 
Before the week was up the meeting was left en- 
tirely with the Lutheran minister, Rev. Aughey, 
and myself, as far as the ministers were concerned 
it was entirely neglected by them, and would have 
died a natural death before the week was up, if it 
had not been for us. O shame. 

There I became quite intimately acquainted 
with Rev. Aughey, the Lutheran pastor, who fre- 
quently attended my meetings and took an active 
part in them. We also made pastoral visits, and 
visited the sick together. This dear brother died a 
few years later on the floor of Synod, at its session 
in Lewistown. He had just delivered an appeal 
in behalf of the Lutheran Observer^ and Lutheran 
literature. He finished his appeal and sat down. 
He then arose, and stepped to the window, and 
taking a lead pencil and envelope from his pocket, 
he laid the envelope on the window sill and was 
seen to write something on it. He then put both 
into his pocket, sat down and expired. He was to 
preach that evening, and had his sermon in his 
pocket. O how uncertain is life ! After his death 
it was seen that he had written the following on 
the envelope at the window. "The sting of death 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



2I 5 



is here." My brother, Rev. J. F. Dietterich, was 
present and saw this brother pass thus unexpec- 
tedly from earth to glory. We were very strongly 
attached to each other, and when he heard that I 
was about to apply to the Susquehana Synod lor 
membership, he wrote a letter to one of the minis- 
ters of that Synod urging my reception by that 
Synod very strongly. Peace to his ashes. But we 
shall meet again. 

My first year on Perry Circuit closed, and I 
went to conference. 




2l6 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



CONFERENGE IN CARLISLE. RETURNED TO 

PERRY. REBUILT THE MILLFORD CHURCH. 

SERIOUS ILLNESS OF MY WIFE, ETC. 

This spring, 1874, Conference met in Carlisle, 
Cumberland County, and I drove over, accompa- 
nied by my wife, which was the first and only time 
she ever attended conference with me, while a 
member of that church. I was appointed by the 
conference to preach at Mount Rock on Sabbath 
evening and did so. I was again assigned to Perry 
Circuit, with R. W. Runyan as my colleague. Rev. 
A. L. Reeser was Presiding Elder. 

Runyan was a young man of some experience 
in the work, and a fine preacher. Before return- 
ing home, after adjournment of conference, we 
drove up to Centerville to visit my brother, who 
was pastor of the Lutheran Church there at the 
time. It so happened that he had a very success- 
ful meeting in progress, and the altar was crowded 
nightly with penitents. I remained and preached 
two evenings for him and enjoyed the services very 
much. Rev. Dutt of the Lutheran Church was 
also present. We then returned to our home in 
Elliotsburg and went to work on the circuit. . 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 217 

During the summer we rebuilt the Millford 
Church and A. L. Reeser, Presiding Elder, offi- 
ciated at the rededication. This year we held a 
camp-meeting on our circuit, and I attended a camp 
in Cumberland County and one near Clear Spring, 
York County. Here I again took dysentary, and 
was confined to bed for some time at the home of 
brother Jacob Brandt, near the camp ground, but 
finally recovered sufficiently to return home. The 
Cumberland camp was held in a grove on the west 
side of the pike leading from Carlisle to Mount 
Holly, perhaps two miles from the latter place. 

At this camp I saw the roughest time on Sab- 
bath afternoon I ever witnessed at a camp-meet- 
ing. The congregation was not very large in the 
forenoon, I presume, because the people in the 
town attended their own churches in the forenoon, 
but in the afternoon all came to camp, and the 
turnout was very large. Unfortunately the brother 
who preached made his sermon very short, and the 
congregation was dismissed. It was yet quite 
early, and a long time until the evening service, 
and here was all this vast concourse of people 
waiting for the evening, and nothing to interest 
them. The members and officers of the camp 
came to the Presiding Elder, and said, "Why don't 
you have another sermon ? Here are all these 
people, and nothing going on. You ought to 
have preaching." He replied, "I have no one ap- 
pointed to preach until evening, and I won't ap- 



2l8 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

point a man to preach on the spur of the moment, 
without time for thought. If you can get some 
one to consent to preach, I will call the people 
together bat I will not appoint one." I was 
standing near by, and they asked me whether 
I would preach. I said yes — that is my busi- 
ness. The P. E. then sounded the trumpet 
and called the people together. The seats were 
soon filled up, but there was yet a vast concourse 
of people at the head of the ground and on the 
pike. We began the services, and I preached. I 
held the attention of all on the seats, but not of 
those outside and on the pike. While preaching 
I saw there was something going on in the crowd 
on the pike. Every now and then I could see the 
dust fly and the crowd gathered thicker and closer. 
At one time the fence, sitting full of men, went 
down with a crash. Yet it did not disturb my con- 
gregation. I continued until done with my ser- 
mon, undisturbed ; but the tumult continued to in- 
crease on the pike, and when I finished my ser- 
mon, I said without sitting down or consulting the 
Elder, arise and be dismissed, and then pronounced 
the Benediction. I hardly had time to turn around, 
until there was not a minister on the stand, nor a 
person on the camp ground, and I could see it was 
getting very rough on the pike. I. had noticed dur- 
ing preaching a blind lady sitting near the stand, 
and I looked for her and thought I would take care 
of her, but her friends had taken her away. I then 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 219 

jumped off the stand and ran to the " Preachers' 
tent," to get my hat. I got the hat and came out. 
I then saw two of the officers coming down 
through the grove carrying a man between them, 
and the whole crowd, like a mighty wave following 
them. These two men with their captive rushed 
up into the stand, while the mass of people rushed 
in on every side, amid the crashing of seat-boards, 
the winowing of horses, and the screams of women 
and children. Horses had torn loose, and were 
rushing frightened through the excited crowd. 
For a time it appeared as though half the people 
might be killed, and everything be destroyed. But 
the excitement now soon subsided, and quiet was 
again restored. A number of women had fainted. 
But what was the cause of all this ? One man 
from Carlisle was the cause of it, and whiskey was 
at the foundation of it all. This man saw another 
one there with whom he was not well pleased, and 
being full of fighting whiskey, was determined to 
fight him. But that man tried to keep out of his 
way. But he followed him up and several times 
came very near catching him, and it was that 
which made the dust fly while I was preaching. 
Just at the time I dismissed the congregation, two 
of our guards arrested this fighting man in the 
crowd, when his comrades attempted to rescue 
him from the officers. Just at that time I dis- 
missed, and the brethren ran up to see what was 
the matter. They at once saw the situation of 



220 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

things, and rushed to the assistance of the officers, 
and considerable knocking down was done right 
and left for a short time, when the officers fearing 
lest their prisoner should get away from them in 
the fight, took him up and carried him down on 
the preachers' stand, where they could keep him 
securely. It was this that occasioned the rush and 
excitement. This over, and we had no more dis- 
turbance during the camp. 

We held a number of protracted meetings dur- 
ing the fall and winter, which resulted in sixty-five 
conversions. 

In Newport we had a good sister who was 
very faithful in her attendance on the public means 
of grace, but her husband was an infidel and sel- 
dom came to church. I spoke of visiting them but 
was advised to stay away on his account. But the 
second year during my meeting I did visit them, 
as he came to meeting quite regularly. He treated 
me very kindly and I staid with them over night. 
In the morning, while the wife was getting break- 
fast, we sat in the parlor alone, and I said to him, 
They tell me you are an infidel, how is it ? He 
said, — "No, I am not. I was, but I have watched 
the life of my wile for the last twelve years, and 
her consistent life has convinced me, that she 
enjoys a something, which I do not, and that there 
is a reality in the religion she professes, and I am 
an infidel no more." From that time he attended 
church with her. Whether he ever became a 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 221 

christian or not, I cannot tell, but I have no doubt 
he did. We see here the power of a consistent 
christian example. 

When I was ordained, Bishop Long insisted 
very strongly on this point in addressing the can- 
didates for ordination. He related an example of 
the power of true, and consistent christion example. 
He said, "A certain christian father had but one 
son, and he was very anxious that he should be- 
come a minister of the Gospel. With this in view 
he sent him to college. The father looked for- 
ward with great anxiety and pleasure to the time 
when his son should graduate and enter upon the 
great work of the ministry. But unfortunately, 
while at college this young man had got hold of 
and read poisonous literature, and when he came 
home after graduating at college, the father learned 
to his great sorrow, that his son was a confirmed 
infidel. The father talked to him, reasoned with 
him, and prayed for him, but all to no purpose. 
He got ministers to reason with him, but all in 
vain. After some time the father died and eventu- 
ally the son became a christian, and a minister. 
When questioned as to the cause of his change of 
views, he said, — "It was not reasoning nor argu- 
ment, lor I could always find some argument to 
rebut any argument they could produce in favor of 
religion. But there was my father's consistent 
example. That was an argument I never could 
get over. It was that, which led me to become a 



22 2 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

christian." We see in both these cases the truth 
of the saying, — "Actions speak louder than words," 
and the importance of the Savior's admonition, — 
"Let your light so shine, that others seeing your 
good works may be led to glorify your Father 
which is in Heaven." O, for a pious life on the 
part of all professers of religion. 

I announced a protracted meeting to begin on 
a certain Saturday evening in Baileysburg. The 
friends began at once to prepare the way for the 
meeting by speaking to their neighbors, and urging 
upon them the importance of religion. One man, 
the head of a family, residing near the place, but 
who had neglected "the one thing needful" until 
now, past middle life, promised to attend this meet- 
ing, and to become a christian. But he put it oft 
a little too long, as many do. The week before 
the meeting was to begin, he walked up the rail- 
road to Newport, and at the lower end of town he 
was struck by a passing engine, and instantly 
killed. Too late. Too late, will be the cry of 
many a one in the eternal world. O if men would 
but "first seek the kingdom of God and his righte- 
ousness" how much better it would be for them. 

I was conducting a successful meeting in the 
Markel school-house, with a number of penitents 
at the altar. At this meeting the young men were 
in the habit of standing in the aisle, and blocking 
up the way, so the people could not pass out, after 
the congregation was dismissed. I had requested 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 223 

them repeatedly to keep the aisle open, but to no 
purpose. Finally one evening, the house being 
unusually crowded, I again requested them to keep 
the aisle open, so the people could pass out. I 
dismissed, but it was the same as before. I then 
started out the aisle and cleared it, telling them to 
stand back or pass out. The aisle cleared, I turned 
and walked back to the desk, and as I did so I 
overheard a burly-looking school teacher, who 
stood near the door with a whip in his hand, having 
come to meeting in a sleigh, and who had again 
stepped into the aisle, making an insulting remark, 
which provoked me. I turned on my heel, walked 
up to him, clapped my hand on his shoulder, and 
looking him in the face, I said, See here, stranger, 
we have not come here to insult, not to be in- 
sulted, and we will not be. I asked you all very 
kindly to clear the aisle, so the people could pass 
out, and when I turned to walk away I overheard 
your insulting remark ; now if you do not clear the 
aisle, I will. He stepped back and I opened the 
door, and said, now come on, and I will keep the 
aisle open, and I kept my station by the door until 
all passed out, and we had no more trouble during 
the meeting. Sometimes firmness is necessary, 
and at that time I was stout, and able to help my- 
self, if necessary, and feared no man, or set of men, 
as long as I was in the right and doing it, to main- 
tain peace and order at church, and if he had made 
any reply, or had not stepped back out of the way, 



224 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

I would have chucked him out of the door, head- 
long, or at least attempted it, and I had no fears as 
to my success in doing so. 

So at Elliottsburg, during the meeting, soon as 
the Benediction was pronounced, the young men 
and boys would push out and over to the door on 
the ladies' side of the house, and so block up the 
way from the door and on the steps to the yard 
gate, that is was impossible for them to get out, 
and all I could say did no good. So one evening, 
when they had crowded even to the inside of the 
door, I went out and forced my way to the door, 
and standing at the door, I told them now to stand 
back and open the way, or I will open it. I then 
addressed the ladies and said, now follow me and 
I will open the way for you, and they did so, and 
I walked to the gate using both arms to make the 
crowd stand back. I then remained there until all 
the ladies had passed out, and that ended the trou- 
ble for that meeting. 

In the fall Rev. Runyan drove to Liverpool, 
Perry County, and leaving his horse and sulky 
with sister Bair, proceeded by rail to visit his par- 
ents in Watsontown, Northumberland County. 
One night during his stay with his parents, an un- 
godly wretch set fire to a stable in the upper end 
of Liverpool, and while that was in full blaze and 
all the people had rushed to the fire, he ran to the 
lower end of town and set fire to sister Bair's sta- 
ble and before the fire was discovered, and the 



A WONDEE OF GRACE. 



people could get there, it was too late and Run- 
yan's horse, sulky and harness were consumed by 
the flames, which was a severe loss to him. The 
culprit was finally arrested and sent to the peniten- 
tiary for his crime. 

In the winter after the Holidays my wife had 
a severe spell of sickness. She took erysipelas in 
the face, and after some days it went to her brain 
and for a time her life was despaired of. On Sat- 
urday night, after midnight, she sat up in bed and 
told me she was dying, and requested me to call 
the children, who were all in bed, as she wished 
to see them once more. I had them brought into 
the room, when she called them to her bedside 
and bade them all goodby, and made such arrange- 
ments and gave such instructions concerning her 
burial as she thought best, and the end appeared 
to be at hand. But earnest prayer went up to God 
from many a warm heart in her behalf, and I re- 
quested the brother, who led the Sunday evening 
prayer meeting, to state her case and make her re- 
covery the special subject of prayer at the meeting 
that evening, and they did so. God heard prayer 
in her behalf and in mercy spared her to the fam- 
ily by restoring her to health, and we both claim 
to this day, that she was restored to health, and 
lives today in answer to prayer. It is very inter- 
esting now, to hear her tell of the angels she saw, 
the music she heard, and the sensations she felt, 
when so near death's door, that she could look 



2 26 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

through the lattice work to the glory world. She 
has often told me that death appeared to her, sim- 
pl}-, like passing from one room to another, and 
that she need but close her eyes and she was in 
heaven ; that heaven appeared to be all around 
her, and she was perfectly happy. But I shall 
never forget how dark the day to me, when I 
thought we must part, and I be without a compan- 
ion — a wile — and my children without a mother. 
What joy, when she was restored to health, and 
able to go out and come in with us again. 

But while death came so near to us, and yet 
passed us by, he stopped at the second house be- 
low us, and sister Hench, wife ol Brother John 
Hench, a very good christian lady, and a very kind 
neighbor, who was in frequently to see us during 
m}' wife's illness, was suddenly cut down. She 
was in to see my wife one evening, and rejoiced at 
the improvement of her health, went home, took 
sick with inrlamation of the stomach, and died in 
six days. I preached her funeral sermon, assisted 
by Rev. S. W. Seibert. My wife had so far re- 
covered, as to be able to sit in her chair at the win- 
dow, and see the funeral procession, as we passed 
our house on the way to church, bearing this good 
sister to her last resting place. She had rejoiced 
in the improvement of my wife's health, and the 
hope of her final recovery the last time she was in 
to see her, and no doubt but little thought that she 
herself would be laid into the silent tomb before 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 227 

my wife would be sufficiently recovered, even to 
attend her funeral. Yet so it was. But she was 
also prepared for the solemn change, and to her 
death was eternal gain, while her family and 
friends felt their loss most deeply. 

My sister and her husband, Mr. James Kocher, 
from Columbia County, spent the holidays with 
us. 

. On New Years evening by request, I preached 
a sermon for the I. O. O. F. in our church in New- 
port. They turned out in Regalia and the house 
was packed full, it having been previously an- 
nounced in the papers. All passed off very pleas- 
antly, and all appeared well pleased, and I certainly 
was, as I received a present of sixteen dollars cash, 
for the evening. Our fourth, and last son, was 
born in Elliottsburg, September 13th, 1874, and re- 
ceived the name of Willie Alonza. 

The circuit was now in a prosperous condition, 
and had increased in membership, spirituality, and 
liberality. Peace and harmony prevailed, and all 
were well pleased. So closed my second year on 
the old Perry circuit, and I left for conference in 
March, expecting to be returned to Perry again, as 
the General Conference at its last meeting had 
extended the time, making the limit three years, 
instead of two, as before. I was returned, but not 
as I expected. 



228 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

CONFERENCE IN NEW BERLIN, UNION COUNTY. 

RE-APPOINTED TO PERRY. CHANGE OF 

VIEWS ON CHURCH POLITY AND 

BAPTISM. ETC. 

Conference convened in New Berlin, Union 
county, March, 1875. The day before conference 
met, it began to snow, and continued to do so 
until the snow was very deep. Indeed, I think it 
was the deepest snow I ever saw, making it very 
difficult to get to New Berlin, it being located some 
distance from railroads. At this conference the 
old Perry circuit was divided, and Perry and New- 
port circuits were constituted. I was returned to 
Perrj' alone, with S. W. Seibert as Presiding 
Elder. 

The division of this circuit occasioned great 
dissatisfaction with nearly all the membership out- 
side of Newport. Some years previous a few 
members in Newport had attempted a division of 
the circuit, wishing to be separated from the cir- 
cuit with a few other appointments, so as to con- 
stitute two circuits, and have a minister reside in 
Newport. They presented the matter to the 
Quarterly conference several times, but were de- 
feated every time. The circuit did not feel them- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 229 

selves able to support two full salaried men, which 
would then be necessary, as it appeared to be all 
they could do to give one married man, and one 
single man, a living support. But they felt that 
they had now reached the point when they could 
do that comfortably, but could do no more, and 
therefore opposed a division, believing it best to 
leave well-enough alone. So the division was 
dropped for the time by its friends, and forgotten 
to a great extent, by those who opposed it. The 
Newport friends thought now would be their time 
to strike, and by keeping things quiet at home, 
they could steal a march on their opposers, and 
through the Presiding Elder present the matter to 
conference, gain their object, and effect the divi- 
sion, largely unknown to the friends on the circuit, 
so they would have no chance for opposition. 
Sure enough, all unexpected to me, and the circuit, 
save a few in Newport, three men as near as I 
could learn, and a very few outside of town, the 
Elder proposed the division of the circuit at con- 
ference. I opposed it, but it is almost useless to 
oppose anything a Presiding Elder proposes at 
conference, and so the circuit was divided. The 
upper end retained the name Perry, and the lower 
end was called Newport Circuit. These divisions 
are usually effected by the "Committee on Bound- 
aries." with the approval of conference. This 
committee generally, if not invariably, consists of 
the Presiding Elders, and Bishops, and they do it 



23O A WONDER OF GRACE 

frequently without consulting the membership, and 
even in direct opposition to the wishes of a major- 
ity of the membership as in the case of Perry. I 
heard an Elder say in reference to a certain cir- 
cuit, "I wanted to divide it, and mentioned it at 
several Quarterly Conferences, and it was opposed 
every time, and fearing that the division would be 
proposed at conference they sent in remonstrances 
against it, signed by the leading members on the 
circuit. But when the subject came up before the 
Committee on Boundaries, I said, — Brethren, here 
are petitions against it, signed by some of the 
leading members, but I say divide it, and divide it 
we did." Remonstrances would have been sent 
in, in the case oi Perry, if they had been apprised 
oi the fact that it would be presented before con- 
ference, but being ignorant of the fact, none were 
sent in. And I presume the Elder would have 
said, — "I say divide it," and the division would 
have been made in spite of them. 

There is what I consider the abuse of power on 
the part of the Committee on Boundaries, and 
neither preacher, or people, have any redress. I 
was reappointed to Perry, but the membership 
were very much dissatisfied with the division. 
They said they would support me, as I had always 
opposed the division, but they would not support 
any other man. They did support me well, but I 
was informed that my successor did not receive 
two hundred dollars, and was obliged to work out 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 23 1 

in the fields to maintain his family. Not that they 
were dissatisfied with him, for he was a good man, 
and has since been a Presiding Elder himself, but 
because they would not submit to the division. 
Whether this is correct or not I am not certain, 
though I have it from some of the membership. 
But I do know that at the end of one year after I 
left, it was again thrown together, all except the 
Newport congregation. 

I had seen so much of what I considered the 
abuse of power, and now in the case above referred 
to, where remonstrances had been sent in, then 
followed by the division of Perry, that I became 
entirely dissatisfied with the itinerant system, and 
our church polity in general. It may all be right, 
and it may suit some people, but it did not suit me. 
I am of the opinion that the members, from whom 
all the money must come to carry on the work of 
the church, should have some say, as to how 
things are to be conducted in the church. And 
the men who must pay the preacher should have 
some say, as to who should preach for them, and 
whom they must pay, while the men who must do 
the preaching, should have some say, as to where 
and for whom they should preach, and how long. 
I think it should be a mutual agreement between 
pastor and people. But in our church neither had 
any say, and all was left in the hands of the Sta- 
tioning Committee, which was composed of but 
fallible men, and men who perhaps did not always 



232 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

act under the immediate influence and guidance of 
the Holy Spirit. For I found that they were not 
always more pious, than some other men, nor did 
the office always seek the man — but the man the 
office, for I do know that the last few years I was 
in the Itinerancy there was at times considerable 
electioneering for the office of Presiding Elder. 

I now fully made up my mind that I would 
get from under the thumb of the Presiding Elder, 
and unite with some other church whose govern- 
ment and usages suited m£, at least, better, and in 
doing so the Lutheran church would naturally be 
the first to attract my attention, having been 
brought up in it, my parents being members there, 
and one of my brothers in her ministry. But I 
would not do it hastily. So I gave myself two 
years to acquaint myself fully with her doctrines, 
and usages, before leaving the Evangelical Associ- 
ation. I at once purchased "Schmucker's Popular 
Theology," "Ziegler's Catechetics," "Luther's 
Catechism," and other Lutheran literature, and 
subscribed for the church paper, and made these 
my study. I served the Perry circuit one year 
more, as best I could, and kept my purposes to 
myself and family. 

During the winter Brother B. F. Anthony 
held a protracted meeting in a godless community, 
known as "Shenadoah." The people were virtu- 
ally without Sabbath, and almost without civiliza- 
tion. Their Sabbaths were largely spent in fishing, 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 233 

hunting, drinking, fighting, etc. Brother An- 
thony's labors were blessed of the Lord. A great 
revival took place, resulting in a number of conver- 
sions and a complete reformation took place in the 
entire community. 

Brother Anthony now went to conference and 
being appointed to a circuit, I took up Shenandoah 
as a regular appointment and organized quite a 
large class, making another appointment to Perry 
circuit. But few of these people had been baptized, 
and most oi them desired to be immersed. So I 
appointed a Sabbath afternoon to immerse them 
in the creek, near the school house. The day was 
beautiful and the turn out very large and I baptized 
quite a number of them. One man was six feet 
four inches tall. All passed off very pleasantly. I 
also immersed a number in the creek near Elliotts- 
burg. But now there was a second lot to be im- 
mersed at Shenandoah, and it was getting quite 
late in the fall, but to satisfy them, I appointed an- 
other day to meet at the creek, when this ordi- 
nance would be administered. But in the mean- 
time our fall rains came, the streams became 
very much swollen, and the weather very cold. 
We met at the creek according to announce- 
ment. The turn out was quite large again, and all 
were dressed in their winter clothing, with over- 
coats on. All things ready, and quite a number to 
be baptized. I took off my overcoat and waded 
into the creek. As I did so, I heard some stand- 



234 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

ing on the shore say, " He better keep his over- 
coat on," but I did not mind the cold in the least. 
Among the subjects to be baptized were a number 
of women, and as I took them, one by one, and im- 
mersed them, some once backward, and others 
three times forward, in the wild, cold, muddy 
stream, it appeared cruel and indecent to me, 
at least, and I resolved that this should be the last 
I would ever baptize by immersion, and so it was. 

Up to this time I had been rather favorable to 
Immersion, and had but little faith in Infant Bap- 
tism, and therefore had none of my children bap- 
tized. But now my views underwent an entire 
change on this subject, both as to the mode, and 
the time of baptism. I now believed that the 
proper time to consecrate our children to God is 
in their infancy, and that it should be done by Bap- 
tism, as the Jewish Mother consecrated her child 
to God by Circumcision, and I believed that the 
church and her ordinances, like the gospel and sal- 
vation, are suited to all people, places, circum- 
stances and seasons of the year. Immersion is not. 
I therefore doubt its being a proper ordinance ot 
the church. And as Immersion excludes children 
from church membership, I was almost ready to 
conclude with Rev. Cartright of the M. E. Church, 
" That a church without children in it, resembled 
hell more than it did heaven." 

We held a campmeeting on the circuit in Au- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 235 

gust, and I had several successful meetings during 
the winter, resulting in forty-five conversions. 

During the three years, the first two of which 
I had a colleague, we had one hundred and seventy- 
three conversions, and I oreached six hundred and 
ten sermons in all. 

April 26th I delivered a lecture on Oddfellow- 
ship in the Presbyterian church in Duncannon, 
Perry County, at the celebration of the anniversary 
of the order, at which time a grand time was had, 
and all passed off very pleasantly. I also preached 
a sermon in the church in Elliottsburg, Feb. 22nd, 
for the "American Mechanics." The order was 
present in full Regalia. 

Thus ended my work on the Perry circuit, and 
not yet having my arrangements fully made to 
change my church relations, I went to conference 
for another circuit. On my way to conference a 
good sister from York County came to see me on 
the cars and said, " I heard you were going to 
leave our church and join the Lutherans, is it true." 
My reply was, the report is premature. She said, 
4 Well, I don't want you to leave us." I said, I 
am not going to leave now, I am going to confer- 
ence for work, don't you see ? u Well, I am glad 
of it," and thus the conversation ended. My views 
and feelings on the subject were known to but few 
in the church, until the spring I left, as I thought 
it not best to make them known too soon. 



236 A WONDER OF GRACE, 



CHAPTER XX. 

CONFERENCE IN BALTIMORE, MD. APPOINTED 
TO JERSEY SHORE CIRCUIT. FULLY DE- 
CIDED TO LEAVE THE CHURCH, ETC. 

Conference met in Baltimore, Mch, the first 
Thursday in March, 1876. At this Conference I 
was entertained by a german family by the name 
of Messersmit, who had a large bakery. They 
were a fine family and treated me very kindly. 
On Sabbath evening alter all had retired but Mr. 
Messersmit, he took a candle in his hand, and ex- 
amined all the doors to see that they were securely 
fastened, and as he passed from the hall into the 
sitting room, it is supposed he took a fit, and fell to 
the floor, with his face on the candle, setting his 
large, full beard on fire, and before he recovered 
consciousness his beard was entirely burned off, and 
he was so severely burned about the face and 
breast, and had so inhaled the flame that it burned 
him inside down to the lungs, and after severe suf- 
fering, he died on Thursday of the same week. 
His daughter wrote me a letter informing me of 
her father's sad death. 

At this conference I was appointed to Jersey 
Shore, Lycoming county, with Rev. D. P. Cline as 
my colleague. Brother Cline was a single man, but 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 237 

had some experience in the ministry, was an able 
preacher and a most excellent man. We became 
most strongly attached to each other. We moved 
into the town ot Jersey Shore, where we had a 
very pleasant home. To this place we moved by 
rail. Jersey Shore was a pleasant, but laborious 
field. I labored on this field as before, but preached 
my old sermons and devoted my time to the study 
of Lutheran literature, and the more I studied 
Lutheran doctrines and usages, the more I loved 
the Lutheran church. Here I soon made the ac- 
quaintance of Rev. A. W. Lentz, pastor of the 
Lutheran church. I found him to be a most excel- 
lent christian brother, and soon took him into my 
confidence, and stated to him my views, feelings, 
and intentions, and he gave me his advice and in- 
fluence. My mind was now fully made up to 
make the change at the end of the conference year, 
unless I could find some sufficient reason why I 
should not — I was yet open to conviction on the 
subject. I also made it the subject of constant 
prayer, but everything appeared to point me in 
that direction, and to urge me on. 

I attended four campmeetings in the month of 
August, including our own, which was a stationary 
camp, known as "The Pine Station Campmeeting." 
Here we had a tent, and our babe, Willie, was 
very sick during the entire meeting. All the 
camps were good and we had a number of conver- 
sions at ours. 



2^8 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

While walking out into the grove one day at 
one of the camps in company with Rev. M. Sloat, 
he turned to me and said inquiringly, "You 
preached the funeral sermon of John Newcommer, 
in Loysville, didn't you ?" I replied, yes, sir ; over 
a year ago. "Well," said he, "that sermon was 
blessed to the conversion of my eldest son and his 
wife. We never could do anything with them, 
but they wrote to us, that there was a something 
in that sermon that gave them no rest until they 
both became converted, about a year afterward, 
and we were so glad to hear it." So it is, we sow 
the seed, but cannot always tell the good it does. 
Eternity alone will reveal it, and in the last great 
day many may surprise us by telling us how we 
were the means of their conversion, all unknown 
to us, as in this case. I never knew this family, 
and have never seen them to this day, to my 
knowledge. Brother Sloat was a most excellent 
christian man, and an able preacher. He died 
happy in the Lord, in New Kingston, Cumberland 
county, while pastor there, in 1884. Thus he fell 
with the harness on. 

During the year we built a very fine church 
at Pine Station, Clinton county. Bishop Bowman 
officiated at the dedication. We also built a 
church, known as the "Harer's Church," not far 
from Saladaysburg, which was dedicated on 
Christmas, Rev. M. J. Carothers, P. E., officiating. 
A good and lasting work was done in the erection 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 239 

of these two churches. Both were very good 
buildings and well finished. 

Here we purchased a fine "Shoninger" organ 
as a surprise for the children. By previous ar- 
rangement it was delivered on Christmas day, 
while myself and wile were absent, attending the 
church dedication, and the children were at home 
alone. They were greatly surprised and very 
much pleased. We found them in a great glee 
when we arrived at home. In the fall my wife 
had a very severe spell of sickness. At one time 
I thought she had died in my arms, but she had 
only fainted, and God in his mercy spared her to 
us again. 

During the winter Brother Cline and I held 
several ] rotracted meetings, resulting in sixty-nine 
conversions, and I preached one hundred and 
eighty sermons in all on the charge. 

During my meeting at Pine Station Rev. W. 
H. Gotwald, President of the Susquehanna Synod, 
came up from Milton to hear me preach and to 
become better acquainted with me. I had re- 
quested him to do so through Brother Lentz, as I 
thought he should hear me, and I wished to con- 
sult him more fully as to my intended change of 
church relations, and get his advice. No one in 
the congregation knew the object of his presence. 
He gave me every encouragement to proceed as I 
had intended to do. 

During our meeting in the Harer's church our 



24O A WONDER OF GRACE. 

eldest son, J. Eugene, to our great joy, came to the 
altar of prayer and was truly converted to God. 
He was teaching school in the Harer's school house 
at the time. Knowing my intentions for the spring 
and by my advice he united with the Lutheran 
church in Jersey Shore, and was admitted by Rev. 
A. W. Lentz by Baptism. Being quite confiden- 
tial with Brother Cline, I told him all my arrange- 
ments for the future previous to the meeting of 
conference. On my way home from my last ap- 
pointment in the German Settlement, I stopped a 
few minutes with our pastor in Lock Haven, and 
told him my intentions. I painted things as dark 
as possible in the Evangelical Church, and bright 
as possible in the Lutheran church, making things 
much stronger, than I considered them, in order to 
arouse him, and then said, now, dear brother, I 
want to be right and do right. We are apt in such 
cases, to look only on one side of the subject, I 
have tried to look on both sides, or at the reasons 
why I should leave, and why I should not leave, 
but perhaps I am partial. Now you consider the 
matter, then write out all the strongest reasons you 
can think of, why I should not leave, and send 
them to me by letter, and I will consider them 
well. I am yet open to conviction on the subject 
and need not leave, but I intend to do so, and bade 
him goodby. But I received no letter from him, 
though he was Secretary of Conference at the 
time. At conference I asked him, why he had not 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 24I 

written. He said — "You painted things so dark, 
I thought it was not worth while." I said, I did 
that on purpose to arouse you. If there were rea- 
sons, why I should not make the change which I 
had not considered, I desired to know them, and I 
wanted you, looking from the other side, to state 
them. "Well, I thought from what you said, it 
would be useless, and so did not write." 

Thus ended my one year on the circuit, and 
my last year in the itinerancy. I bade the friends 
farewell and left for conference. But few of them 
knew of my intentions, and expected me back on 
the circuit for another year, but in this they were 
disappointed. 



242 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

CONFERENCE IN WILLIAMSPORT. SECURED 

MY DISMISSAL. REASONS FOR MY CHANGE 

OF CHURCH RELATIONS. DEATH OF 

MY BROTHER. ETC. 

I went to conference, which met in Bennett 
Street Evangelical Church, Williamsport, Lycom- 
ing county, Pa., Thursday, March 8th, 1877. 
Here I handed in my report of the year's work for 
myself and colleague, as usual, and on Saturday 
afternoon I asked for an honorable dismissal from 
that body, which was granted me by a unanimous 
vote. The dismissal also had a recommendation 
attached to it, recommending me to any christian 
body to whom I might present it. Thus ended 
my connection with the Evangelical Association, 
March 10th, 1877. I had now been in the itiner- 
ancy eighteen years and six months. Though I 
had traveled but seventeen years and six months, 
having located for one year to care for father, after 
mother's death. Thus I gave the itinerancy a fair 
trial, and had considerable experience in the work, 
and workings of the church. 

They are an aggressive church and have doub- 
led their membership in these years. But many 
changes have taken place and comparatively few, 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 243 

who were in the active ministry when I entered 
conference are there now. Some are on the re- 
tired list, and a number have passed over to the 
promised land. I had become widely known in 
the church and had many ties, acquaintances and 
friends in it, which must all be, to some extent at 
least, severed in leaving, and while I shall ever 
have a warm feeling for that church and her min- 
isters, as far as I was acquainted with them, yet I 
made the change considerately conscientiously, and 
prayerfully, and I have never regretted it lor a mo- 
ment up to the present time. My reasons for mak- 
ing the change are various, and have already been 
hinted at, but may be summed up briefly as follows: 

First. The Lutheran church, was the church 
of my fathers, the church in which I was baptized 
and brought up, and which I should never have 
left. I had a brother in her ministry and it had al- 
ways been father's ardent desire that I should be 
a member of the church to which he belonged. 
On the records of the Lutheran church were found 
the names of most of my relatives living, and in 
her cemeteries sleep most of those who have died. 
So I was but going back home, and to my friends 
in uniting with her. It was also irequently re- 
marked, by outsiders and others, that I was more 
of a Lutheran in doctrine, and preached more like 
a Lutheran than like an Evangelical preacher. 

Second. I was tired of the itinerancy, and be- 
lieved in a settled ministry. I put it to a Presid- 



244 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

ing Elder in this way, while visiting him at his 
home, two years before I made the change. I 

said, Brother S , am I, as a husband and father, 

responsible for the comfort and welfare of my fam- 
ily ? He said, " Certainly you are." I then said, 
Is it right for me to place the comfort and wellfare 
of myself and family, entirely into the hands of an- 
other man, who may, or may not be interested in 
it, as I would be myself ? He said, " No, certainly 
not." I then said, that is what I do when I be- 
come an itinerant preacher. He replied, " No, you 
do not." I said, certainly I do. Every spring at 
the Annual Conference the question is asked, 
" Who are the preachers that are willing to travel 
this year, according to the directions of the confer- 
ence, and our discipline, and what is their num- 
ber." (See Discipline.) Now, if I desire a circuit, 
I must rise to my leet, signifying that I am one, 
and in doing so I place myself and family entirely 
into the hands of the stationing committee ; that is, 
into the hands of the Presiding Elder, and he can 
send me just where he pleases, whether it is where 
I want to go or not, or whether it is where the 
people want me or not ; and yet preacher and peo- 
ple must submit, and neither have any redress. 
Then too, an Elder may be partial, and keep his 
friend on good circuits all the time, and another on 
poor circuits all the time, though I have had no 
reason for complaint on that score, having fared 
about as others do, yet I know it has been done. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 245 

True, the Elders and Bishop form the stationing 
committee, but each elder has largely the say as to 
his own district. His reply was, " Yes, Presiding 
Elder timber is getting pretty scarce in our con- 
ference." I said, it is not the "timber" — the men 
— I find fault with, but the principle. All the reply 
he made was, " O, you are getting all ferhuddled." 
I believe it should be a mutual contract between 
pastor and people, as to whom they serve, who 
shall serve them and how long. According to my 
way of thinking, and it may be only my way of 
thinking, there is too much power placed into the 
hands of the Presiding Elders. They have the 
power to send preachers when and where they 
please, without consulting preacher or people, and 
as committee on boundaries to divide and cut up 
circuits to suit themselves, and the people have no 
voice or power in either case. The itinerancy has 
its advantages, it is true, (i.) All the ministers 
are sure of a field of labor, hence they have no 
"unemployed ministers." (2.) Every charge is 
provided with a minister, hence frequent and 
prolonged vacancies, which occur so frequently 
in our church, to the injury of charge, and con- 
gregations, are unknown among them. (3. While 
their ministers generally do not receive large 
salaries, yet they provide for their worn-out 
preachers, and prechers' widows, and orphans, 
even better than the Lutheran church does. 
But with all its advantages, its disadvantages 



246 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

are such, that I preferred a settled ministry, and 
therefore left. 

Third. A third reason for leaving was that 
the laity have no representation or voice in any- 
thing that is done in the church, and I think, that 
the laity, who must furnish all the means for carry- 
ing on the work of the church, should have a voice 
in the church, and some say, as to the manage- 
ment of the affairs of the church. Again, 

Fourth. The parity of the ministry. I think 
these various ranks and offices as Bishops, Presid- 
ing Elders, Elders and Deacons, are only calcula- 
ted to excite pride, selfishness, envy, jealousy, and 
office-seeking, and engender strife and contention, 
and I think we see the effects ol it to-day, in the 
most terrible strife, contention and divisions now 
existing in that church. I say, let every one stand 
on his own footing, and not be Rev. So-and-so, 
simply because of his office. 

These are the principle reasons for my leaving 
the Evangelical Association and uniting with the 
Lutheran Church, her form of government suiting 
me best. I also differed, as already stated, with 
them on the doctrine of entire Sanctiflcation, which 
ran very high in the church at that time. Also on 
Baptism, I believed as a church we should adopt 
what we believed to be the most Scriptural mode, 
and practice that mode only, and not try to cater 
to the notions of every one, on so important a sub- 
ject, as they do. I speak on these subjects only as 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 247 

a matter of personal preference and faith, and not 
in a condemnatory spirit. Having the different 
christian denominations, with different modes and 
forms of government, it is the right of every one 
to choose the one which suits him best, and they 
may assign their reasons for their preference, and 
I have simply done so here. I would wish a God- 
speed to the Church of Jesus Christ, in all her 
branches. "In essentials unity, in non-essentials 
liberty, in all things charity," expresses my senti- 
ments exactly. And as we differ in our views and 
feelings on these ;z6>/z-essentials, I think it is well 
that we have different churches, and consequently, 
a choice in these things. 

During conference I was appointed to preach 
in the Mulberry Street M. E. Church on Sabbath 
evening, and did so. 

Having obtained my dismissal I returned 
home on Monday in Jersey Shore. It was an ex- 
ceedingly cold, snowy day. On that day, March 
12th, 1877, my brother, Jacob F. Dietterich, died 
very suddenly in Fair Haven, Carrol county, Il- 
linois, aged fifty-six years. Jacob was the largest, 
heaviest and apparently the most healthy of my 
five brothers, never having been sick a day in his 
life, to my knowledge. On the day of his death, 
he took a sled load of wheat to town, ten miles 
distant, and after weighing the grain he stepped on 
the scales, and he weighed just two hundred 
pounds, which was his standing weight. He re- 



248 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

turned home about the middle of the afternoon 
and ate a hearty meal with the family. In the 
evening himself and son started to do the feeding, 
and as they passed the stove they stopped to warm 
themselves, it being very cold, and while standing 
there he exclaimed, "I feel" — and fell to the floor 
dead, before he could finish the sentence. The 
cause of his death was pronounced "heart disease." 
O, how uncertain is life. "Ye know not what 
shall be on the morrow." 

I now rented another house in Jersey Shore 
and moved into it, so as to vacate the parsonage 
for my successor on the circuit. I then sent my 
dismissal to the Rev. W. H. Gotwald, President of 
the Susquehanna Synod, with my application to 
become a member of the same. He replied, that 
he had no jurisdiction in the case, that coming 
from another church, I could only be admitted by 
the synod which would meet in June, that he 
would make mention of my case in his report to 
Synod, and recommend my reception. In the 
meantime I was at liberty to preach for any of the 
brethren, or to supply vacant charges up to the 
meeting of synod. During this time I preached 
several times in the Nipenose charge, and supplied 
the Muncy Creek charge regularly, every two 
weeks with preaching, both charges being vacant 
at the time. The joint council on the Muncy 
Creek charge sent a recommendation to Synod for 
me, signed by every member. In the latter part 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



249 



of March I attended the "West Branch" Confer- 
ence of the Susquehanna Synod in company with 
Rev. A. W. Lentz, president of conference at the 
time. It met in the brick church, in the Muncy 
Valley charge I preached before that body by 
request of conference. I also filled the pulpit of 
Brother Gotwald Sabbath morning and evening, in 
Milton, and assisted Brother Lentz at his com- 
munion in the Pine Creek congregation. But now 
it is time for the meeting of Synod, and I must go. 




250 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

ADMITTED AS A MEMBER OF THE SUSQUE- 
HANNA SYNOD EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN 
CHURCH. SEVERE SICKNESS. DARK 
AND TRYING DAYS. 

I attended the Susquehanna Synod for the 
first time, which met in Bloomsburg, Columbia 
county, June 21st, 1877. At this Synod my cre- 
dentials were handed in for the action of that body. 
The president appointed the following committee, 
Rev. Geo. Parsons, Rev. J. McCron, D. D., and 
Rev. A. J. Flickinger, to whom my case was re- 
ferred, which was committee No. 9. Saturday 
afternoon, June 23rd, 1877, Committee No. 9 sub- 
mitted the following report, which was adopted : 

Mr. President, The documents placed in 
the hands of your committee are several letters 
and papers having reference to the application of 
Rev. H. A. Dietterich, of the Evangelical Associ- 
ation, for reception into the ministry of the Luth- 
eran Church. Your committee met this brother 
for examination. During this examination we 
learned that Brother Dietterich is in hearty sym- 
pathy with the doctrines and government of our 
church. He favors catechization, believes in a 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 25 1 

more settled and permanent ministry, denies abso- 
lute perfection, but believes in a gradual, and con- 
stant growth in grace, and the divine life. This 
brother comes to us with an honorable dismissal 
from the Evangelical Association by which he was 
licensed in the year 1858, and ordained in 1863. 
He is also highly recommended by ministers of our 
own and other synods. In view of all these facts 
in the case, and as our examination was entirely 
satisfactory, we therefore cheerfully offer the fol- 
lowing : 

Resolved, That Rev. H. A. Dietterich, who 
comes to us honorably dismissed from the Evan- 
gelical Association, be now received as a member 
of the Susquehanna Synod. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Geo. Parsons, ] 

J. McCron, D. D., \ Committee. 

J. A. Flickinger, J 

See minutes of Susquehanna Synod for 1877, 
pages 23 and 24. But some might wonder why 
so long from licensure to ordination ? I would just 
say, that the Evangelicals, like the Methodists have 
two ordinations. After preaching two years on 
probation, I was ordained deacon in Glen Rock, 
York county, and after preaching two years more 
I received my final ordination as Elder, in York, 
York county, Pa., March, 1863. This is the in- 
variable rule of that church. Thus I became a 
Lutheran minister, June 23rd, 1877, after being in 



252 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

the itinerancy of the Evangelical Association eigh- 
teen years and six months. 

On Sabbath the different pulpits in Blooms- 
burg were supplied by the members of synod, and 
I preached in the Reformed church by appoint- 
ment of the Committee on Public Worship. After 
synod I returned home to Jersey Shore and was 
now ready to take a charge. Muncy Creek charge 
being vacant, appointments were made for me in 
the early part of July, when elections were to be 
announced for me as pastor. On Saturday morn- 
ing I left home with my horse and buggy, accom- 
panied by my brother-in-law, Geo. W. Evans, to 
meet my appointments on Muncy Creek. But 
before we arrived in Williamsport, where we stop- 
ped for dinner, I began to feel unwell. After din- 
ner we proceeded to Hughesville. On the way I 
was taken with dysentery in a severe form. Ar- 
rived in Hughesville, I consulted Doctor Hill. He 
examined me, gave me some medicine and ad- 
vised me to go home as soon as I could. Acting 
on his advice we drove to Muncy in all haste, 
when I took the buss to Muncy station, and then 
the train for Jersey Shore. Arrived at home I 
took my bed and sent for our family physician. 
My dysentery ran into remittent fever. Alter two 
weeks I was again able to sit up, and walk out a 
little. But at the end of one week, August 1st, in 
the evening I took a chill while sitting in the room, 
which resulted in a mild form of typhoid fever, so 



I was again obliged to take my bed and remain 
there six weeks more, making eight weeks in bed 
out of nine. During my last attack of fever my 
throat got sore, and when I recovered slowly Irom 
the fever, I had inflammation of the throat and 
larynx, and lost my voice, as a result of the fever, 
and it was with great difficulty that I took any 
food or drink, at times scarcely being able to swal- 
low at all. I was a complete wreck physically, 
and my recovery was very slow, and considered 
doubtful. For six months, I was confined to the 
house most of the time, and unable even to con- 
duct family worship, for eight months, not being 
able to speak above a whisper most of the time. I 
never expected to be able to preach another ser- 
mon. Muncy Creek charge wrote to me repeat- 
edly, to know how soon I would be able to visit 
them. I, as often replied, that I never expected 
to preach again, and told them they should secure 
another man and not wait for me, and I recom- 
mended another man to them, but all in vain. 
They waited for me until Arril, when we moved 
to Columbia county. They then gave up all hope 
of me and secured a pastor. These were dark 
days and months. A large family to maintain, no 
income, not much ahead financially, and but little 
prospects of ever getting better. My condition in- 
dicated that I might linger in a disabled condition 
and then die. 

Then, too, trouble often does not come single- 



254 A WONDER OF GRACE, 

handed. So it was in my case. Of the little means I 
had saved, I that summer lost five hundred dollars by 
the financial failure of him, to whom I had lent it. 
Then in November, three of our children had the 
diptheria in a severe form and one of them, Tillie, 
for some time it was thought would not live, but 
she did finally recover, but feels the effects of it to 
this day, and always will. On Thanksgiving day 
our doctor, accompanied by his wife, attended a 
Thanksgiving dinner at the house of a friend, and 
on their way home she came in with the Doctor 
to see our sick children. As a result, she took dip- 
theria and died from it in a short time. While I 
was in bed with the fever, a neighboring little girl 
attempted to kindle the fire, by pouring coal oil 
into the stove on the coals ; the consequence was, 
the oil took fire, exploded the can and set her 
clothes on fire ; she ran out into the street all in a 
blaze screaming. We heard her screams in our 
house. She was so severely burned that she died 
in a few hours. She died saying, " Papa you done 
so ! Papa you done so ! " She had seen her 
father use the oil in starting the fire, so she tried 
it, and how tragic, how sad the result. Parents 
should be very careful in the use of so dangerous 
an article, especially in the presence ol small chil- 
dren. I never used it, nor allowed it to be used 
in my family to my knowledge. The house also 
took fire, but was saved. I was greatly alarmed, 
being in bed, and unable to get up, fearing that our 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 255 

house would also take fire, as the two buildings 
were not far apart, and a strong wind, coming di- 
rect from that one, prevailed at the time. If the 
one had burned, it had been almost impossible to 
save the other. 

But amid all the darkness, there was also some 
light. In the first place, I had the promise of the 
Blessed Father, " I will never leave thee, nor for- 
sake thee." Also of the blessed Christ, u Lo, I 
am with you alway^ even unto the end of the 
world." Then, too, I had a kind and loving wife, 
and we had two sons about grown to manhood, 
the eldest was teaching school in Nipenose Valley, 
and being a very affectionate and kind hearted son, 
I knew he would not let us suffer, if it lay in his 
power to prevent it. Then, too, Brother Lentz 
was my constant visitor, and deep sympathizer, 
and the friends were very kind to us. Through 
the influence of Brother Lentz, the friends of Jer- 
sey Shore and Pine Creek Lutheran churches 
made us a donation, which came very good and 
was most highly appreciated hy us, and especially 
cheering under the circumstances. Being con- 
fined to the house all winter, and my eyes and 
head being too weak to read or study much, I 
took to knitting stockings for a passtime, and knit 
several pair in that way. Being unable to do any- 
thing, and having no income, and rents being very 
high in Jersey Shore, I now rented a farm house 
in Columbia County, my old home. The property 



256 A WONDER OF GRACE 

was once owned and occupied by father, and I was 
partly raised there. It joined the old homestead. 
We moved the first of April, 1878, bidding fare- 
well to Jersey Shore and friends, and here I ex- 
pected to linger for awhile, and then die, and be 
burried by the side of my parents in the Lutheran 
burying ground. But God in mercy ordered other- 
wise, and spared me yet for years to my family and 
the ministry, for which his name be praised. 

The first year we lived in Jersey Shore I as- 
sisted at the dedication of the Odd Fellows Hall, 
in the town, and also delivered a lecture for the 
order, in the M. E. church, in Saladasbury, cele- 
brating the anniversary of the Saladasburg Lodge. 
The lodge turned out in full regalia. Rev. Henry 
Wilson, pastor of the M. E. church, was in the pul- 
pit with me. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 257 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

MOVE TO COLUMBIA COUNTY. HEALTH IM- 

PROVEING SLOWLY. FIRST SERMON FOR 

ONE YEAR. HARD TIMES. ETC. 

We moved to Columbia county, April ist, 
1878, and after we got settled down again and 
spring set in, the weather became more spring- 
like, so I was able to be out most ot the time ; my 
health began to improve again, slowly ; my throat 
and voice also got better, slowly. 

June 16, I attended preaching in the Ebenezer 
Evangelical Church, at 2:30 p. m., Rev. W. W. 
Roads, pastor. He invited me into the pulpit, and 
then insisted on me preaching for him. I stated 
that I feared I would be unable t > get through 
with it, but he insisted that I should try it, and if 
not able to finish, I should sit down and he would 
take my place. I finally consented to try it, and 
did so. I announced as my text, John xii. 21, "Sir, 
we would see Jesus." God blessed me and the word 
and we had a good meeting. This was my first 
attempt at preaching for one year. In the evening 
Brother Roads preached in Evansville, and stated 
to the congregation, that he had the "exceeding 
great pleasure of stating that Brother Dietterich is 
again able to. preach. He filled the pulpit for me 



2 $8 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

this afternoon, and got along well." From this 
time I preached occasionally and assisted Brother 
M. V. Shadow, Lutheran pastor, at his com- 
munion. I also assisted at his installation as pastor 
of the Briar Creek charge. I delivered the charge 
to the pastor, and W. H. Gotwald, of Milton, 
president of synod, delivered the charge to the 
people, and performed the liturgical services. A 
Methodist minister was also present and took part 
in the services. 

In consequence of the crisis of 1877 and '78 
money and work were very scarce and times very 
dull. I was able to do but very little, and there 
appeared to be but very little for the boys to do. 
Eugene taught summer school for ten dollars per 
munth, and boarded with the scholars, rather than 
do nothing, while Elmer worked around by the 
day as he could get work, at different places. I 
also did some little jobs, so as to earn what I could 
toward maintaining the family. In the winter 
Eugene taught the "Nob" school, where I got all 
the schooling I ever had, and where I superin- 
tended the Sabbath-school the first summer after 
my conversion, up to the time I commenced to 
preach. He boarded at home, and our children 
now attended the same school. Here, November 
16th, 1878, we had a little daughter born to us, 
and she received the name Bertha May, but we 
always called her "Birdie." 

Synod met in Hazleton, Pa., June 13th, but 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 259 

being unable to attend on account of my health, I 
sent in my reason by letter and asked them to ex- 
cuse me for non-attendance, when the following 
action was taken : 

REPORT OF COMMITTEE NO. 12. 

Mr. President, Committee No. 12 would 
respectfully report, that the document placed in 
their hands is a letter from Rev. H. A. Dietterich, 
of Whitmire, stating his reason of absence from 
Synod, which is ill health. We recommend that 
he be excused, and that we as a Synod sympathize 
with him in his affliction, and pray that he may 
soon be restored to health. 

A. B. Miller, ") 

H. N. Whitman, f Committee. 

Philip Schoch. J 

See minutes of Synod, page 22. 

In the fall, at the request of Brother Shadow 
and the friends, I took charge of the Orangeville 
congregation, and supplied them with preaching 
every two weeks, and held a meeting of two 
weeks in the winter. This congregation at that 
time was not in connection with any charge. 

During the winter our second son, Elmer E., 
was converted at a meeting conducted by Brother 
Shadow, in the church where I first came out as a 
seeker of religion, and he united with the Evangel^ 
ical Association, as I had done. 

Being yet unable to enter the active work of 
the ministry, and work being scarce for the boys, 



fc6o A WONDER OF GRACE. 

I now purchased a small farm in Fishing Creek 
Valley, Columbia county, to which we moved in 
the spring. Two years have now passed, and I 
am yet in a disabled condition. Able to do but 
little work and could preach but occasionally, 
something must be done, so the boys could main- 
tain the family, if I could not. Hence the purchase 
of the farm. O how I long for the active min- 
istry, but I cannot. "O Lord, how long ?" O 
Lord, why is it ? "Even so Father, for so it 
seemeth good in thy sight." O give me grace to 
submit patiently, "For whom the Lord loveth he 
chasteneth," and "These light afflictions shall work 
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of 
glory." Even so. Amen. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 26 1 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

TWO YEARS ON THE FARM. HEALTH IM- 
PROVING SLOWLY. CONTINUE TO PREACH 
OCCASIONALLY. ENTER THE ACTIVE 
MINISTRY AGAIN. ETC 

April 1 st, 1879, we moved to the farm. I was 
now able to potter around a little, fix up fences, 
etc., and Eugene did the farming. Elmer helped 
on the farm, and hired out as he could get work. 
I continued to preach at Orangeville and took up 
an appointment near home at the "Mount Zion 
Church," and supplied both with preaching every 
two weeks. Some times my health, throat and 
voice would be pretty good. At other times I 
would be worse and unable to do anything. 
Eugene being of age I gave him fifty dollars for 
the summer, and he then taught our school in the 
winter, and boarded at home, so as to still take 
charge of things there. 

Elmer during the winter assisted Rev.W. W. 
Roads as junior preacher on the Columbia circuit. 
In the spring he attended their conference in Ber- 
wick, where he received license as a preacher, 
March, 1880, but not being appointed to a field of 
labor he again returned home. 



262 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

I attended our Synod, which met in Shamo- 
kin, June 15th. I also attended conference in 
Mifflinville, Columbia county, and preached be.ore 
that body, Rev. J. A. Adams, president. 

Our son Eugene had felt called to the minis- 
try, but had resisted the call up to this time, partly 
because of my disability, making it necessary for 
him to assist me in caring for the family, and I 
think partly because of his being disinclined to the 
work of the ministry, and the want of means to 
prepare himself for it. He finished seeding, all but 
the potato patch one day at noon, and said he did 
not feel well, so went to bed. I took the team and 
finished the seeding, and when I came in, in the 
evening, I found him very sick and he'd had a se- 
vere time of it that afternoon. At one time he 
thought he would not live. When I came in, he 
called me to his bedside and told me all about it, 
but said, he would now get well, as he had prom- 
ised the Lord, if he would spare his life, he would 
prepare for the ministry, and he said, " I know God 
will spare me, for I know he wants me to preach, 
but I did not want to do it. But now I have prom- 
ised him and I will." He finally got well after a 
severe spell of sickness. I got along with the fall 
work as best I could, until he got well. The 
neighbors were very kind to us. 

Being called to Orangeville, six miles distant, 
to marry a couple, I went and remained over night. 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 263 

We had a very pleasant time. The ceremony took 
place at the home of the bride. Next morning I 
started for home, and on my way I stopped to pay 
a farmer for five bushels of seed wheat I had got- 
ten from him. When I asked him how much I 
owed him, he said, " Oh nothing. I present that 
to you." It was quite unexpected to me, so I 
thanked him kindly for it and proceeded on my 
way home, and when I arrived in sight of my farm 
I saw with astonishment that one whole field of 
corn was on shock, where not a stalk was cut 
when I left. Arrived at home my wife told me 
that the neighbors had taken advantage of my ab- 
sence and came together, all unexpectedly that ev- 
ening, and cut it. O how thoughtful ! How kind, 
and how cheering: ! God bless them for it. 

One year rolled round, and being yet unable to 
take a charge, I was obliged to remain on the 
farm another year, and so hired Elmer for the sum- 
mer, the same as I had Eugene the summer before. 

Up a ravine in the woods, some distance from 
the house, I had a secluded spot, to which I would 
repair almost every Sabbath for prayer and com- 
munion with God. It was a sacred spot to me, 
and God often met me there. Here I promised 
God, if he would restore me to health, and to the 
active work of the ministry, I' would give one tenth 
of my income for benevolence, and I have done so 
to this day, keeping a careful account and settling 
annually. 



264 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

I continued to serve those two congregations 
as before, and the friends from Orangeville made 
us a very liberal donation all unexpectedly. They 
were accompanied by Rev. A. Houtz, the Re- 
formed pastor, and his lady. They brought their 
dinners with them, and when ready to sit down to 
the table, they had so arranged that Rev. Houtz 
and myself should occupy the head of the table, ac- 
companied by our wives. Soon after beginning to 
eat, a lady passed the biscuits around and laid one 
by my plate. The room was full, and all eyes 
were turned to me to see me eat my biscuit. 
When I took it up I noticed that it had been cut 
into and pinned together with small wooden pins. 
I opened it, and to my great surprise it had been 
hollowed out, and now contained seven dollars in 
money. All took a hearty laugh at my expense, 
but I had the money. I then told them that I was 
very fond of that variety of biscuit, but had not 
found them very plenty. And, indeed, I have 
never seen one of them since. 

Synod appointed a committee to re-district 
the charges on the North Branch, of which com- 
mittee I was a member, and Mifflinville was de- 
tached from the Briar Creek charge, and Orange- 
ville added. This was done in the fall. Rev. 
Shadow now resigned the Briar Creek charge, and 
accepted a call to Mifflinville, and my health being 
somewhat improved, I accepted Briar Creek as a 
supply, and began to serve it, January 1st, 1881. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 265 

Eugene attended Synod with me in Muncy, 
Pa., in June, and made arrangements to enter 
school at Selin's Grove in the fall, and thus begin 
to prepare himself for the great work to which 
God had undoubtedly called him. 

My health still improving, I now accepted a 
call to the Briar Creek charge, made sale, rented 
the farm, and we moved to Martzville, April ist, 
1 88 1. Thus ended my disability, and after four 
dark years of disability — years which appear lost 
to me, I was able to enter the active work again, 
though by no means well yet. Why this disability, 
I do not know. Some said it was because I had 
left the Evangelical Association. But I never felt 
so. Others with whom I was personally ac- 
quainted, who were younger in years and in the 
ministry than myself, remained in the church — and 
yet had become disabled, and one dear brother had 
died. And I felt that if I was disabled, because I 
had left, then this one died, and the other one was 
disabled, because they did not leave. I think the 
argument should hold good in both cases, if it is 
good in my case. But I never felt condemned for 
my course, nor did I feel that there was anything 
in the above assertion, as made by some. It was, 
no doubt, for some wise purpose on the part of my 
Heavenly Father, that this was permitted, or 
brought upon me, though not understood by my- 
self. "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou 
shalt know hereafter," Jno. xiii. 7, and in the last 



266 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

great day it will be made plain to me, why it was 
best that it should be so. 

" God moves in a mysterious way, 
His wonders to perform ; 
He plants his footsteps in the sea, 
And rides upon the storm. 

' ' Deep in unfathomable mines, 
Of never failing skill, 
He treasures up his bright designs, — 
And works, His sovereign will. 

' ' Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take 
The clouds, you so much dread — 
Are full of mercy, and will break 
In blessings — on your head. ' ' 

These lines are exactly expressive of my feel- 
ings. I am thankful to be able to enter upon the 
great work again, and may I be more faithful in 
the future, than in the past. O God, give success, 
give ability, and give faithfulness. Amen. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 267 



CHAPTER XXV. 

A PREACHER AGAIN. PASTOR OF BRIAR 

CREEK CHARGE. DEATH OF OUR LITTLE 

DAUGHTER. AGAIN DISABLED. 

Briar Creek charge was a laborious field, 
located in Columbia county, and mostly not far 
irom the river. This was the place of my nativity. 
I preached at Martzville. Centre, Orangeville and 
Hidley's churches. At Martzville we had a very 
pleasant home. Having moved on to a charge 
and entered the active work of the ministry again, 
though by no means well, yet things began to look 
more cheerful, and encouraging for us. But we 
had only got nicely fixed when a cloud, O, so dark 
— -dark, came over us again. Our dear little Birdie, 
so bright, so smart, so cheerful, and so dear to us, 
took sick with scarlet fever. She was very sick, 
but finally got better, when it ran into dropsy and 
after five weeks she died suddenly, while I was at 
synod. Saturday I received a telegram from my 
eldest son, Eugene, as follows : "Come at once, 
Birdie is worse." I asked to be excused from 
further attendance at synod, and started for home. 
O how I prayed all the way from Northumberland 
to Berwick, as the cars rushed along, that if it was 
God's will, she might be spared to us, and restored 



268 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

to health, again. But when I stepped from the 
train at Berwick a neighbor met me and said, "I 
have sad news for you, your little girl is dead." 
Dear little Birdie, I will never forget how I stood 
on the pavement and wept for you. How can it 
be, all my prayers have been in vain. "Even so, 
Father, so it seemed good in thy sight." She was 
gone. I had been appointed to preach the prepar- 
atory sermon that afternoon before the synod. 
The synod took the following action : 

"Rev. H. A. Dietterich having been apprised 
by telegram of the dangerous illness of his child, 
was excused from further attendance upon the ses- 
sions of Synod. Rev. Criley, of Lewisburg, on ac- 
count of serious illness in his family, was also ex- 
cused from further attendance at this session. Dr. 
Wolf was kindly invited to unite with Synod in 
beseeching the Throne of Grace, for the restora- 
tion to perfect health of the children of both 
brothers, Criley and Dielterich." 

See minutes, pages 16, 17, 18. 

But in vain. My Birdie was gone. O I 
thought it could not be. I at once telegraphed for 
Brother E. A. Sharretts to come home and officiate 
at her funeral on Monday, and we buried her by 
my parents in the Lutheran grave yard at the 
Centre church. I have since kneeled by her grave 
side, accompanied by my son Eugene, and there 
with uncovered heads, we in solemn prayer re- 
newed our covenants with God. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 269 

I copy the following obituary from the Luth- 
eran Observer which I had written myself and 
sent in : 

From the Lutheran Observer, June 24th, 1881. 

Dietterich. — Died, in Martzville, Pa., June 
4th, Bertha May, daughter of Rev. H. A. and T. 
E. Dietterich, aged two years, six months and 
nineteen days. Birdie was unusually bright for 
one of her age. Five weeks ago she took scarlet 
fever, from which she partially recovered, when 
dropsy set in, causing her death. She was cheer- 
ful and playful, to the day before her death. 
Thursday morning, she occupied her little chair by 
her father's side at family worship, as usual. In 
the afternoon, the father left for Synod, thinking 
of no danger. Saturday morning he received a 
telegram, "Come at once, Birdie, is worse," but 
before he reached home, life had fled. Another 
cradle is empty. Another little chair is vacant at 
family worship. 

' ' Dearest Birdie thou hast left us, 

Here thy loss we deeply feel, 

But 'tis God that hath bereft us, 

He can all our sorrows heal. ' ' 

The following is on her tomb-stone : 

" Farewell, dearest Bertha, thy spirit hath fled, 
Forever with Jesus to be, 
To rest on the bosom of him, who hath said, — 
' Let the little ones come unto me.' " 

O how we missed her. Only those who have 
had a similar experience, know what it is, to part 



2 7° A WONDER OF GRACE 

with a child, just at that age, when they are most 
interesting, yet God knows best, and much as we 
felt our loss, we felt that it was her gain, and that 
we now had a jewel in Heaven, and we hope to 
meet her again. Before she died she told her 
mother, " I don't want my doll babies any more," 
and to the last she plead " Mamma sing — mamma 
sing." Thus she died, while mamma sang for her 
with bleeding heart and weeping eyes. 

While here I preached the funeral sermon for 
Grandmother Martz, mother-in-law to Rev. E. A. 
Sharretts, who was present, and was at the time 
pastor of the Espy charge. Being near the river, 
and in a malarial district, I took malarial fever, and 
was again disabled through August and Septem- 
ber. 

In October I received a letter from Rev. A. 
W. Lentz, stating that he had resigned the White 
Deer charge, and he desired to know whether I 
thought that charge would be any better for me ; 
that it consisted of two churches, three miles apart, 
and consequently I would not have the exposure I 
had on a large field, and could be at home every 
night, and thus avoid the change of beds in the 
winter, which was necessary where I was, and is 
so injurious to health ; and that it was not in a 
malarial district. He also stated, that if I would 
come they would elect me, and give me a call 
without preaching visit sermons, as I had preached 
once in each church three years previous. I re- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 2j T 

plied, that if they elected me, and gave me a call 
without visiting them, I would not assume the re- 
sponsibility of saying no, under the circumstances, 
as this charge was too laborious for me, required 
too much exposure, and was in a malarial district, 
while the other was nor. Consequently they 
elected me, made me a call, and sent a committee 
over to see me. I accepted the call, and resigned 
the Briar Creek charge. Thus ended my labor on 
my first charge, because I was not sufficiently 
strong for the work on that laborious field. 

During my sickness with the fever, the friends 
in Martzville made us a surprise " pound party " 
one evening. The charge had been very pleasant 
for us, being our old home, and we got along very 
pleasantly together. My resignation was reluc- 
tantly accepted, and only accepted at all, because 
of my physical condition, all believing the change 
would be for my good. So farewell to our native 
place once more, and perhaps for the last time. O, I 
would like to have remained near my old home all 
my remaining days, but it could not be, so goodby. 



272 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

MOVE TO WHITE DEER. A GRAND RECEP- 
TION. SILVER WEDDING. A PLEASANT 
CHARGE. ETC. 

I resigned Briar Creek to take effect Novem- 
ber 30th, and my work to begin on White Deer, 
December 1st, 1881. 

At Orangeville I was exposed to the small- 
pox the last time I preached there, but it had just 
broke out, and the first victim died on Saturday 
before the small-pox had made their appearance 
on her body, hence it was not known, and she be- 
ing a highly respected lady, many stopped in to 
see her on their way to church, as she lay a 
corpse. But before church was out the small-pox 
made their appearance, and it was pronounced 
such by the physicians, and caused quite an excite- 
ment. 

I published my farewell sermon for two weeks, 
but the small-pox prevailed at the time, so that I 
could not preach. We shipped our goods by rail 
to Allen wood, and goods and family arrived in the 
parsonage about noon, December 1st, 1881. We 
found the house full of kind iriends, who had come 
to make us welcome, and help fix up in the new 
home, and a very pleasant time was had. Here 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 273 

we found a fine parsonage. It was a large, new 
house, built but three years, and stood near the 
" Stone Church." Also convenient to the school. 
White Deer was a very convenient and pleas- 
ant charge. It consisted of two churches, three miles 
apart, good roads, and located in the beautiful 
White Deer valley, ten miles from the City of 
Williamsport, and convenient to the railroads. 
The people are generally well to do farmers, intel- 
ligent, social and kind. Indeed the most social 
people I have ever met. I had served in part oi 
the valley as an Evangelical preacher, from 1862 
to 1864, and therefore was not entirely a stranger 
here. Being most kindly received, I went to work 
on the new field, and soon became acquainted 
with the membership, and strongly attached to the 
people and place. And it is yet the most home 
like, to me, of any place on earth. At the Frame 
Church we had a Christmas entertainment, and I 
was made the recipient of seven dollars in cash. 
This congregation I found in good condition with 
an intelligent membership, a flourishing Sunday- 
school and excellent singing. At the Stone Church 
we had a larger congregation and membership. 
Also a larger sabbath school, but things were not 
in as good trim as at the other church at the time, 
and the choir had gone down entirely, hence the 
singing was not so good. But all went to work 
and things were soon in a better shape. Here a 
Christmas entertainment was also held, and among 



274 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

the gifts distributed, was a fine set of glassware, 
consisting of six pieces for Mrs. D. During the 
winter I held a meeting at this church, which was 
well attended and resulted in nineteen accessions at 
my first communion in May. This was an old 
church and centrally located in the valley, and the 
greatest place lor large congregations I ever served. 
It had been noted for bad order, but I had no trou- 
ble, and had excellent order. We reorganized the 
choir, and had most excellent singing, and by spring 
everything was in good working order again. I 
had no meeting at the Frame Church, but had five 
accessions at our spring communion, including a 
practicing physician and his wife, and he was our 
family physician as long as we lived here. During 
the winter I took a severe cold, which settled on my 
lungs and I was again under medical treatment. 

April 4th was the twenty-filth anniversary of 
our wedded lite, which was found out by the 
friends, and they arranged to give us a surprise 
party in the evening, which was a success, though 
considerably spoiled b}' its being a very rainy ev- 
ening. It was arranged to have at least one hun- 
dred present, and to be accompanied by the Elims- 
port cornet band, but because of the rain, the band 
did not come. The following report of the event 
is from the Lutheran Observe?', as copied from the 
Williamsport \ aper. 

The Williamsport, Pa., Sun and Banner of 
April 13th, gives the following account by a corre- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 275 

spondent of a pleasant occasion. U A lively time 
was had at the Lutheran parsonage in the White 
Deer charge, Lycoming county, Pa., on Tuesday 
evening, the 4th inst, the twenty fifth anniversary 
of the wedding of the pastor, Rev. H. A. Dietter- 
ich and lady. The pastors children, one son at 
Selin's Grove, preparing for the ministry, another 
son in Berwick, and a married daughter at Coles 
Creek, Columbia county, were all invited to come 
to a neighboring house, whence they would be 
conveyed to the home of their parents in the even- 
ing, in company with friends. For some reason 
the son from Selin's Grove was the only one of the 
children who came. Unfortunately the evening 
was very dark and rainy, so that many friends, 
who intended coming, were unable to do so. 
Some forty or fifty assembled at the parsonage, 
and while some entertained the pastor and wife in 
the sitting room, busy preparations were going on 
in the parlor. Then the door was opened, and all 
but the pastor and wife were invited in. Soon 
they were escorted into the parlor, where to their 
surprise they saw it filled with friends, and in the 
centre a large table loaded with gifts, consisting of 
a silver castor, spoons and napkin-rings, glass and 
china ware, etc. W. E. Metzgar, M. D., made the 
presentation address. He congratulated them 
upon the blessings of the past, and hoped they 
might be continued in the future, and that they 
might be spared long to enjoy each other's society. 



276 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

He then asked that these presents be accepted as 
a token of friendship. The reverend gentleman 
replied, stating that to himself and lady this was a 
complete surprise. That they had spent twenty- 
five years together, had seen many changes, had 
their ups and downs in life, had seen dark and 
bright seasons, yet the Lord had been good to- 
them, and they both felt that their "honey moon" 
was not yet over, and hoped it might continue to 
the end of life. He assured them that their kind- 
ness was highly appreciated, and the gifts most 
tankfully received. Then all united in singing, 
' Together let us sweetly live, 1 etc. The gifts were 
now examined, and when the Reverend saw 
among them a twenty-five pound sack full of 
sugar, he ' smiled a smile, all over his face/ and 
jocularly remarked, ' Now I can drink sugar in my 
coffee. 5 Supper was then had, which showed a 
grand display of beautiful cakes, etc. The evening 
was spent in social chat and music, with Mrs. 
Mowry at the organ. All passed off ' Merry as a 
marriage bell,' and the occasion will be long re- 
membered, both by the family and friends." 

Synod met in Montoursville, lune 8th, 1882, 
at which time I reported for six months as follows: 
Accessions, twenty-four ; collected for benevo- 
lence, $89.98. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 277 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

VISIT TO COLUMBIA COUNTY. BIRTH OF 

LITTLE MAUDIE. SYNOD IN SELIN'S 

GROVE. REMARKABLE FUNERAL. 

SMALL-POX. ETC., ETC. 

In August I visited Columbia county, accom- 
panied by my son Eugene. On the trip I preached 
in the Asberry M. E. Church, and in the Evangel- 
ical Church in Berwick. 

In the fall we put a new roof on the one side 
of the Stone Church. Also painted the outside of 
the Frame Church and purchased new stoves for 
it. At the joint council meeting, December i«t, it 
was resolved to inc y ease my salary fifty dollars, 
and to make us a joint donation of the two congre- 
gations on New Years day, at which time I was to 
preach for them in the Stone Church at 10 A. M. 
The donation was a grand success and highly ap- 
preciated by us. The congregation here had pur- 
chased a valuable silver castor and made it my 
duty to present it to the organist, Sister Jarrett, all 
unknown to her. In front of the pulpit we had a 
communion table with a space in it, to keep the 
communion set. Here I concealed the castor, and 
just before dismissing the congregation I asked the 
organist to meet me in front of the pulpit, but she 



278 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

hesitated. Her friends in the choir, who had a 
share in it, urged her to come. She finally did so, 
and we met at the table, when I addressed her as 
follows : " Dear sister, I have the pleasure of ad- 
dressing you as our organist, in behalf of this con- 
gregation. We as a congregation feel the impor- 
tance of good church music. We regard it as an 
important part of divine worship. No doubt, sing- 
ing will be our chief employment in the glory 
world, to which we are hastening. One year ago 
we, as a congregation, were very deficient in this 
respect. But fortunately you came to our help, 
took hold of the organ, and calling to your assist- 
ance willing helpers, have furnished us with most 
excellent music for the past six months. Our 
hearts have often been made to burn within us, 
while listening to your sweet anthems and hymns 
of praise. iVnd as a slight token of our apprecia- 
tion of your valuable services, permit me in the 
name of this congregation to present you with this 
New Year's gilt, a beautiful castor, (and placed it 
on the stand before her). As this castor is de- 
signed to occupy a central position on your table, 
may it ever be plentilully surrounded with rich 
viands, and yourself, with willing and able helpers 
in the choir. And when you partake of your food, 
you will remember that it will be unpalatable un- 
less properly seasoned with the spices these bottles 
are calculated to contain. So are our services dull, 
unless properly flavored with good music. And 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 279 

as this castor is bright and beautiful, so may your 
pathway through life be pleasant and prosperous. 
As it is untarnished, so may there never anything 
occur to mar . the kindly feelings that exist be- 
tween us and yourself, as congregation and organ- 
ist. I ask you, again, to kindly accept this our 
free will offering, and may the Lord grant you a 
happy New Year, and you, assisted by the choir, 
• continue to enliven our services with your happy 
songs." 

She could only say u Thank you " — and 1 pro- 
nounced the benediction. 

Here November 26th, 1882, our last child was 
born. It was a bright little girl and received the 
name Olive Maud, but we always called her 
Matidie. She was a bright and beautiful child, 
and we were so fond of her, as she appeared to re- 
semble little Birdie so much, whose place she had 
apparently come to fill, for our hearts were yet so 
sad and lonely over her death. Yet she was per- 
mitted to stay with us but a short time, and then 
passed on before, to join her sister in the land of 
bliss, leaving us to follow on. 

Synod met in Selin's Grove, Pa., May 30th, 
1883, at which time I reported fifteen accessions 
and collected for benevolence, one hundred and 
six dollars and seventy-two cents, and local objects, 
not including salary, two hundred and twenty-four 
dollars, thus advancing all along the line. Peace 
and harmony prevailed and all things were pleas- 



280 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

ant on the charge. At this synod I had the ex- 
ceeding great pleasure of taking Brother D. A. 
Day, our missionary in Africa, by the hand once 
more, and we had a pleasant time together, talk- 
ing over the past and the present. He again re- 
turned to Africa, where he still is doing a good 
work. 

I preached a number of funeral sermons dur- 
ing the year, one of which was remarkable in that, 
that the brother buried was Philip Dietterich, and 
the preacher and five bearers were of the same 
name, all cousins. I shortly afterward preached 
the funeral sermon for his widowed mother. This 
was a remarkable family, in that one son and two 
daughters were deaf mutes. These were members 
of the Frame Church. 

Here at my communions I had the deaf, the 
mute, the blind and the whole, all to surround the 
Lord's Table together, to commemorate the Sa- 
viours dying love. At my first communion I ad- 
ministered the communion to nine sick and aged 
persons at their homes, all of whom passed over to 
the goodly land in about one year's time. 

My work had been very much interrupted, es- 
pecially at the Stone Church, by the small-pox, 
which broke out in that neighborhood in January, 
1883. We had several cases, two of whom died. 
The first one died the evening I was to begin my 
meeting there. Myself and family were very much 
exposed to it, but were spared. Churches, schools 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 28 1 

and everything were closed for seven weeks, and 
consequently I could hold no meeting there, and 
the accessions reported were the result of a meet- 
ing in the Frame Church, held in the fall. 

Here, in the fall, one Sabbath morning we 
burried Sister Milt. Berger, and in the afternoon we 
burried the twin children of Mr. Morehart in one 
coffin. Also the same fall I buried Grandmother 
Woltman, aged ninety-six years, and about the 
same time we burried a child of Brother Henry 
Decker, and one of Brother John Howser's, at the 
same hour, and I preached for them. All burried 
in a short time and in the same grave yard. Thus 
ended the Synodical year, an eventful one in some 
respects. 



282 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

MOST SUCCESSFUL MEETING OF MY MINISTRY. 
SYNOD IN WILLIAMSPORT. A MOST PLEAS- 
ANT AND PROSPEROUS YEAR. SORE 
AFFLICTION. SAD BEREAVEMENT. 
A WEDDING UNDER SOLEMN 
CIRCUMSTANCES. ETC. 

In August myself and wife with little Maudie, 
visited our relatives in Columbia county, spending 
two weeks with them, and had a very pleasant 
time. 

In the fall I held a meeting in the Frame 
Church which was quite successful and resulted in 
nineteen accessions at our communion in January, 
1884. After the above meeting I had the most 
successful meeting of my ministry in the Stone 
Church, which continued six weeks, and resulted 
in sixty-five conversions and forty-eight accessions. 
This was the best meeting of my ministry up to 
that time. Here March 2nd, I held communion 
and admitted at one time forty-eight members, the 
largest number I ever admitted at one time, twen- 
ty-nine of whom were married people. Among 
the number was our son George, and three of our 
daughters, Laura, Sallie and Tillie. Also our son 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 283 

Elmer E.,'by certificate from the Evangelical As- 
sociation. O, I thought it the proudest day of my 
life. To God be all the glory, for — " Paul may 
plant and Apollos may water, but the increase 
must come from God." 

Synod met in Williamsport, June nth, 1884. 
At this synod I reported sixty-six accessions, and 
collected for benevolence one hundred and twenty- 
six dollars and fifteen cents. Local objects,, not 
including salary, two hundred and twenty-nine dol- 
lars and thirty-five cents. Truly a great work. 

I was appointed as alternate to preach on the 
subject of benevolence before Synod, F. P. Man- 
hart, principal, and being present, he preached. 

Here I had the pleasure of becoming ac- 
quainted with Rev. F. W. Conrad, D. D., editor 
of the Lutheran Observer. I had never met him 
before, but here we were both entertained by the 
same family. I also heard his lecture on " Luther 
and the Reformation." 

This spring we recarpeted the Stone Church, 
and put up some additional buildings on the par- 
sonage lot. In the fall by a public effort in both 
congregations, we secured the funds and paid the 
debt still resting on the parsonage, and thus freed 
the charge of all indebtedness. Surely^ this was 
a most pleasant and prosperous year. I felt to 
thank God, and take courage. 

But as St. Paul was "caught up to the third 
heaven, where he heard unspeakable words," saw 



284 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

such sights, and experienced such ecstacy, that he 
"knew not whether in the body, or out of the 
body" — only to prepare him for the greater suffer- 
ing for the Master — and as this glorious revelation 
was followed by " a thorn in the flesh," so my 
bright and successful year was followed by dark 
clouds, sore afflictions, and deep bereavement. 

In February, 1884, my eldest daughter, whose 
husband was a blackshith, moved to our place, 
where he carried on his trade. In November 
their second , c ,on took diphtheria, and died on the 
nineteenth, aged a little over two years. The 
night of his death I went to their house and back 
again, three times. It was but a short distance, 
but the snow was falling quite fast all the time. 
The consequence was, I took a severe cold, which 
again aroused my throat trouble. I lost my voice, 
and from the day of his funeral I was confined to 
the house most of the time, until Spring, and un- 
able to preach again, until Easter Sunday, April 
5th, when our son Eugene preached for me in the 
Frame Church, and I preached in the home church 
with good success. The first five weeks of my 
sickness Maudie was my constant companion in 
the room, as I was not confined to bed. She did all 
in her power to cheer me, and make me comfort- 
able. If I would lie down on the lounge to rest, 
or to sleep, she would place the little pillow from 
her doll cradle under my head, and cover me with 
the little quilt. Then when I arose, she would get 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 285 

a little play dinner and call me — " Papa, dinna 
weddy, Papa, dinna weddy," and- we would eat 
together and thus pass our time as pleasantly as 
she could make it, on her part. 

At the end of five weeks, on Saturday eve- 
ning, she and our little grandson romped and 
played together as jolly as ever, until nine o'clock, 
when he went home, and she to bed. When I 
went to bed she was asleep, but I noticed there 
was something wrong, and before morning she 
was very sick. The doctor called it membranous 
croup, but I always believed it to be croupal diph- 
theria, from which she suffered most severely, 
until Tuesday evening, at six o'clock, when she 
breathed her last. O how suddenly — how unex- 
pectedly she was taken away from us. And O, 
how I, especially, missed her, and I shall never 
forget the last time we embraced each other, as 
her mother carried her on her arm, while she 
struggled for breath. No more will I hear her 
sweet little voice saying " Papa, dinna weddy." 
Mother was obliged to sing for her to the last, as 
she would plead u Mamma sing, Mamma sing." 
She sang for her until she thought her very heart 
would break, as she saw her child struggle for 
breath, and yet plead " Mamma sing, Mamma 
sing." But the end came and she went to join 
little Birdie, on the ever green shore, where by 
God's grace we hope to meet them again She 
died December 23rd, 1884, and was burried on 



286 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



Christmas day. Rev. S. G. Shannon officiated at 
her funeral. I was unable to leave the house, but 
could see them as they bore her across the way, 
and laid her to rest by the side of little Archie, 
with whom she had played all summer, until his 
death in November. When Archie, our grandson, 
was burried she saw him in the coffin, with a 
bunch of flowers in his hand, which she admired 
and talked about so much and on Saturday, when 
she took sick in the evening, she said to a neigh- 
bor who came in, "-Archie has posies; he's gone 
to live with the angels, and I am going to live with 
them too." We looked at her with astonishment. 
But now she has gone as she said. 

The following appeared in the Lutheran Ob- 
server of Jan. 16th, 1885 : 

"Dietterich. — Olive Maud, little daughter of 
Rev. H. A. and Mrs. Dietterich, pastor at Maple 
Hill, Lycoming county, Pa., died, December 23rd, 
1884, aged two years and twenty-seven days. 
Christmas was a day of sadness and tears at the 
Maple Hill parsonage. Two little feet now still ; 
two little hands folded on a lifeless breast ; two lit- 
tle eyes, once sparkling bright, now closed for- 
ever ; one little voice, that brought so much 
amusement, forever silent — all enclosed in a beau- 
tiful white casket, marked with a beautiful silver 
plate, "Our Darling" — was the cause of the tears, 
and the gathering of a. large congregation to sym- 
pathize with brother Dietterich and his family. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 287 

Three days before little Maud was well and joyous. 
She died with that disease so fatal to children, 
membranous croup. Rev. Dietterich has been 
sorely afflicted for six weeks, and was unable to 
attend the funeral. We laid Olive in the snow- 
bound earth, in the quiet little cemetery at Maple 
Hill, to sleep till the Master calls." — S. G. Shan- 
non. 

The Sunday-school at Stone Church had ar- 
ranged to have an entertainment on Christmas Eve, 
but because of Maudies serious illness, postponed 
it to New Year's night. On Christmas Eve. our 
family were all at home, and Maudie lay in the par- 
lor in the cold embrace of death. 

The council and a number of neighbors were 
in to comfort and assist us, and we were sit- 
ting in the kitchen, talking over our afflictions, 
and arranging for the funeral next day, when 
a rap was heard at the front door. Eugene 
opened it, and to his great surprise, here stood a 
young couple who had come to be married. He 
invited them in, and gave them seats, and then 
came and asked me if I could marry them ? I said 
I could, and started for the room, when my wife 
came to me and said, '' You would not marry them 
when Maudie is lying a corpse, would you ?" I 
replied, I did not think of that, but it is a religious 
ceremony, and I think there would be no harm in 
it, but you ask the friends what they think about 
it, and then report to me, and I will go and speak 



288 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

to them. When I came in they inquired why the 
church was not lit up, stating that they had come 
to attend the entertainment, and when I told them 
that it had been postponed, because of the circum- 
stances in my family, they said they knew nothing 
of the sickness and death of our child, as they had 
come some distance, and both appeared to be com- 
pletely unnerved, and did not fully recover while 
there. My wife and the friends soon came in, and 
said I should marry them, as they could see no 
wrong in it, and I did so. This is something I pre- 
sume, but few ministers have done under such cir- 
cumstances, and a something that has seldom been 
done. 

Being confined to the house all winter, I took 
to knitting fancy mittens for a passtime, and knit 
several pair of them. A niece from Columbia 
county, being to visit us, I told her, if she would 
buy the yarn, I would knit a pair for her mother. 
She did so, and I knit them and sent them to her 
by mail with the following inclosed : 

Aunt Rebecca, here's your mittens, 

Snug as a pair of kittens. 

Dora bought the yarn, the little elf, 

I knit them all myself. 

Hope they are not too large nor too small, 

But just right, and that is all. 

After April 5 th, I was again able for the 
work, and my throat has never made me much 
trouble since. The winter, having been a dark, 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 289 

gloomy and sad one to us, because of our sad be- 
reavement in the death of our dear little Maudie, 
and my prolonged affliction and disability, the chil- 
dren and friends resolved to make us one bright 
spot, and cheer mother, by making her a surprise 
party on her birtyday, Feb. 17th. I was let into 
the secret, as my nerves were yet too weak to endure 
the shock of having them come on to me unexpect- 
edly. All things were arranged to have them 
meet at our daughters, near by, and then come 
over in a body. In the evening, as all of us were 
sitting quietly in the room, and mother was read- 
ing, suddenly a rap was heard at the door. We 
told her to open the door and she did so, and to 
her utter astonishment some seventy persons came 
marching in two by two, loaded with eatables, and 
presents of various kinds. It made her quite ner- 
vous for some time. The presents were numerous 
and valuable. A grand supper was served, and a 
very pleasant time was had. O how such visits 
tend to cheer the heart, refresh the soul and drive 
away the gloom that had all winter hung over our 
family. God bless these kind visitors. It was her 
forty-fourth birthday. 

The following letter from our eldest son, who 
was then at Pennsylvania College, was received 
that evening. Also a pair of large handsome tow- 
els with her initials worked on them. At my re- 
quest the letter was publicly read by Mr. Shaffer, 
and made a deep impression upon all present. It 



«9° A WONDER OF GRACE. 

\ 

is so good and so comforting, coming from a son 
to his parents, that I think it should be preserved, 
and is worthy a place here, while we carefully pre- 
serve the letter as long as we live. 

" Pennsylvania College, 

Gettysburg, Pa., Feb. i6lk, 1885. 

My Dear Mother: — 

Tomorrow is your . birthday. To-day 
ends another year of your life. They say there is 
going to be a little gathering in honor of the event. 
I wish I could attend it. How much pleasure it 
would give me. If my purse had been as full of 
money as my heart is full of love for my parents, 
you would have received the grandest present you 
ever saw. I knew not what to get. But I knew 
you would not measure the value of the gift by the 
amount ot money it cost. I bought the towels and 
Miss Leittle kindly offered to work the initials on 
them, an offer I very gladly accepted. All I am, 
or ever hope to be, I owe under God, to my par- 
ents. When we look back over our lives, how 
plainly we see the hand of Providence, mercifully 
sparing you, and raising you up, when all hope had 
been given up, adding many years to your life, that 
you might bless your children, and hand in hand 
with father, lead them in the way of truth. (He 
here refers to the time of mother's severe sickness in 
Elliottsburg when she was given up to die, having 
made all the arrangements for her funeral, and 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 29 1 

bade farewell to the family, taking each by the 
hand as she did so.) How thankful we, your chil- 
dren ought to be, and I hope are, that we have 
such kind, good, loving parents. How we should 
love you both for what you have been to us. I 
hope and pray God, that he may spare you many 
years, give many and happier birthdays to you, to 
the joy of your children, and the comfort of father. 
May you live to see your children all grow up 
Godly men and women, useful in the church, hon- 
ored by all who know them, and a comfort to your 
declining years. If we follow the example you set 
us, and the advice you give us, our living in the 
world will not be in vain. May God richly bless 
you both, grant that the afternoon of your lives 
may be long and pleasant as an afternoon in mid- 
summer, finally give you a glorious sunset and a 
happy entrance into the Everlasting Rest, pre- 
pared for his people. May you see many sheaves 
gathered where you have sown, and have many 
stars in the crown of your rejoicing. 

Your loving son 

Eugene." 

Noble words from a son to his parents. Wor- 
thy to be written in letters of gold, God bless 
him, and make him a blessing. .A son with such 
love to his parents, will certainly be blessed of 
God. O that all our children may be blessed of 
God, and as he says, " grow up Godly men and 



292 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

women, useful in the church, honored by all who 
know them," then, indeed, will they be a " com- 
fort to us in our declining years." God grant it. 
Amen. 




A WONDER OF GRACE. 293 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

SYNOD IN BLOOMSBURG. HARVEST HOME. 

ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF A YOUNG MAN. 

REPAIRS ON THE FRAME CHURCH. 

CALL TO ROSSVILLE CHARGE, 

YORK CO. 

Synod met in Bloomsburg, June ioth, 1885, 
at which my report was not so cheering, having 
lost the entire winter's work. I reported acces- 
sions four, collected for benevolence $163.87, in- 
cluding $84.96 collected by Rev. W. H. Diven for 
Missionary Institute, Selin's Grove. 

On Saturday, during Synod, I went home to 
marry a couple, and when I returned in the even- 
ing my wife accompanied me. On Sabbath I had 
the honor of preaching the Synodical Communion 
Sermon before that body. Alter the adjournment 
of Synod, we spent a few days visiting friends in 
Berwick and Briar Creek, and I preached one 
evening in the Evansville Evangelical church, D. 
P. Cline, pastor. This was the home of my wife's 
parents, and in this church we had both been con- 
verted, and here I received my first license in Feb- 
ruary, 1859. 

This year and the following year we held what 
I termed a union harvest home, basket picnic, to 



294 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

which all the ministers and churches in the valley 
were invited. They were held at my suggestion. 
All brought their dinners with them. We had 
seats arranged in the grove with a stand or pulpit, 
decorated with the various grains and fruits of the 
season. In the forenoon a sermon was preached, 
and in Ihe afternoon a children's meeting was held, 
at which we had appropriate singing and addresses 
to the children by the various ministers present. 
A general good time was had, enjoyed by old and 
young, and it tended to promote sociability among 
the different churches. 

In the winter I held a successful meeting in 
the Frame Church, resulting in fifteen conversions 
and thirteen accessions. At the Stone Church we 
had but five accessions. One of the young men 
converted at the Frame Church, and whom I ad- 
mitted to membership, was kicked by a horse and 
killed in hay-making. I preached his funeral ser- 
mon, and thought, what a blessing that he had be- 
come converted, and had not, like so many put it 
off until next year, and so death overtaken him 
thus stddenly, and he unprepared. 

This fall, 1886, in connection with my other 
work, I organized a congregation at Montgomery 
Station, and thus started our work there, where we 
now have a fine church and congregation. 

This spring, 1886, the family and friends 
thought they would surprise me on my birthday, 
which occurs, April 21st, and they did it effectually. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 295 

Busy preparations were going on for some time, 
unknown to me, and birthday was never mentioned 
in my presence, even in my family. After dinner 
myself and wife went to spend the afternoon with 
a family of members, and to baptize their child. 
Another family of members were to be present 
also, and have their child baptized. As we left 
home I thought, no one thinks of this being my 
birthday. At the supper table, when I had fin- 
ished my supper, I shoved back from the table, and 
as I did so remarked, this is my last supper in my 
forty-eighth year. My wife said, " You should not 
have told them that," and all appeared to be quite 
surprised that this was my birthday, and the good 
sister of the house, being a very jolly woman, took 
after me to pull my ears, and chased me entirely 
out of the house, and all had considerable sport 
over it. I was purposely detained until a little late 
before we started home. When we arrived in 
sight of the house, I remarked to my wife, the girls 
must be going to bed already, for I see light up- 
stairs. Arrived a little closer, I said, I wonder 
what is going on, the whole house is lit up, and yet 
I did not take the hint until she replied, " I guess 
you are sold to the dutch." I then understood it. 
Arrived home, about ninety persons were there 
awaiting our arrival, and supper was ready. I then 
learned that it had been purposely arranged by my 
wife and the family we visited, that we should 
come out there on that particular day, and I now 



296 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

understood why they had supper so late. It was 
to keep us there, until all things should be ready 
for us at home. It was to me, indeed, a complete 
surprise. We had a nice time, and presents 
amounting to some fifty dollars were brought, be- 
sides the supper. 

I will now let a correspondent tell the rest, as 
he was present and made the presentation speech, 
and he did it well, being an old friend of mine for 
some twenty years. I copy his report from the 
county paper. 

" A PLEASANT BIRTHDAY SURPRISE. 

One ol those pleasant events, which seem to 
break up the monotony of life, took place at the 
Stone Church, near Maple Hill, in White Deer val- 
ley, last Wednesday evening. The pastor, Rev. 
H. A. Dietterich, being forty-eight years of age on 
that day, his family and friends concluded to sur- 
prise him. The affair was gotten up chiefly by his 
wife and children. Accordingly it was arranged 
for him to go visiting on that day, and on coming 
home about eight o'clock in the evening, what was 
his surprise to find the parsonage in charge of 
about ninety of his friends and neighbors. The 
minister acknwleged " sold," and gracefully and 
cheerfully accepted the situation. Many hand- 
some presents had been bought, among which was 
a very fine arm-chair, presented by his children 
and a few friends. A pair of gold spectacles, a gift 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 297 

from his children. But the most curious and at- 
tractive article, was a hair watch guard, made by 
Miss Lizzie Hulsizer. This was truly a wonder- 
ful piece of workmanship, and goes to show the 
degree of perfection to which the young lady has 
attained in that direction. The seal, hook and 
other ornaments were furnished by the young men 
of the neighborhood. Many other beautiful 
and useful presents were given. When the party 
had all assembled in the parlor, Rev. Dietterich 
was brought in, when Mr. Wm. Richart of New 
Columbia, made a short presentation speech, to 
which the pastor replied in eloquent and impres- 
sive language. A bountiful supper was served, 
the table fairly groaning under its load of cakes 
and other good things. After supper excellent 
music was furnished by the young people with 
Mrs. Mowry at the organ. After a general chat 
and good time the crowd began to disperse at near 
midnight, feeling that it had been time pleasantly 
and profitably spent. Schyzzychkzx." 

April 24^, 1886. 

Synod met in Hughesville, June 13th, 1887. 
In the fall we repaired and refitted the Frame 
Church. Indeed made a new church of it, and it 
was reopened, January 2nd, 1887 — at which time 
I was assisted by Rev. J. A. Wirt, President of 
Synod, and Rev. S. G. Shannon of Sunbury, at 
which time the indebtedness was all provided for. 

This winter I held no meetings, the roads and 



298 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

weather being bad most of the time, and my 
health was not so good. 

In January I received a very pressing invita- 
tion to visit the Rossville charge, York county, Pa., 
with the view of becoming their pastor. After due 
consideration, I consented to visit them, and did so 
in February. After preaching in the different con- 
gregations, I returned home on Tuesday evening, 
and on Thursday evening about seventy-five of the 
Stone Church congregation, made us a surprise 
donation, and a very pleasant time was had. This 
charge, besides these special donations, and birth- 
day parties, made us a joint donation of the two 
congregations every year about New Year's day. 
They were the most liberal in that way of any peo- 
ple I ever served. Such gatherings I think are 
calculated to cultivate sociability among the peo- 
ple, and while we appreciated the gifts very highly, 
and they came very good to us, I appreciated the 
spirit manifested even more than the gifts, if possi- 
ble. O how cheering ! That same evening I re- 
ceived a call to become pastor of the Rossville 
charge, stating that I had been unanimosly elected, 
and that it was the ardent wish of all, that I should 
accept it, and become their pastor. I now hardly 
knew what to do, but finally accepted it for the fol- 
lowing reasons : 

First. I had been here now over five years, 
and I thought perhaps, it would be as well for the 
charge to have a change. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 299 

Second. On account of my health. My 
physician told me it would be better for me to go 
to the southern part of the state, as the changes in 
the weather were not so extreme there. And 

Third. I felt that perhaps the Lord had a 
work for me to do on the Rossville charge, as all 
appeared over anxious that I should become their 
pastor, as I was well known in that county, having 
spent two years on part of the same territory, as 
Evangelical preacher, namely, from the spring of 
1870 to 1872. I finally wrote to the council, ac- 
cepting the call, my work to begin, April ist, 1887. 
The following Sabbath I resigned the White 
Deer charge, my work to end with March. After 
some protest, my resignation was accepted, to take 
effect at the time specified. I now began to make 
arrangements to move, made public sale of horse, 
buggy, sleigh, cow and most of our household fur- 
niture. 

I preached my farewell sermons in both 
churches on the last Sabbath in March, to large 
and deeply affected congregations, at which time I 
gave the following summing up of my work on the 
charge : 

I preached six hundred and fifty-nine sermons, 
attended eigty-eight funerals, and married forty- 
one couples ; I baptized fifty-nine infants, and ad- 
mitted to church membership : By baptism twen- 
ty-eight, by confirmation fifty-four, by certificate 



300 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

twenty-one, and by restoration twenty-five, mak- 
ing a total ol one hundred and twenty- eight. 
When I came here I found a membership of one 
hundred and seventy-five. I now leave with two 
hundred and twenty, a net gain of forty-five. The 
Sabbath-schools numbered two hundred and four- 
teen, now two hundred and eighty-five, a net gain 
of seventy-one. We raised for benevolence $68 1. 
05, for parsonage debt, church repairs and local 
expenses, not including salary, $1313.27. Thus a 
good work has been accomplished, and I leave the 
charge in much better condition, than I found it. 
May God bless and prosper his work more abun- 
dantly on this charge in the future, than in the past, 
is my prayer. Amen. 

Myself and family were very strongly attached 
to this people. They treated us very kindly and 
made us many valuable presents. They are very 
sociable, and while we, no doubt, had our enemies 
on the charge, yet we felt that we left behind us 
many very warm friends, and shall ever remember 
them with the fondest recollection, and with grati- 
tude. White Deer is the most home like to me, 
of any spot on earth. We have many ties there, 
and there I desire to be burried, when my work is 
done. God bless that dear people, and may we 
meet again on the " ever green shore," there to 
talk over the past and recount God's mercies to- 
gether forever. Amen. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 



3OI 



The next meeting of Synod was in Watson- 
town, and I had been appointed to preach the pre- 
paritory sermon, but moving out of the synodical 
district, I could not attend its meeting. 



302 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

FAREWELL WHITE DEER. HAIL ROSSVILLE. 

AFFLICTED WITH TYPHOID FEVER. 

SUCCESS. ETC. 

On Saturday morning, April 2nd, 1887,1 bade 
farewell to White Deer, having spent the night 
with our eldest daughter in Allenwood, and took 
the train for the new field. I arrived in Dillsburg 
about three o'clock, where one of the brethren, the 
Hon. Charles Williams, met me, and conveyed me 
to his house, where I was entertained over night. 
Sabbath morning he conveyed me to the Filey's 
Church, and in the afternoon to Mount Zion 
Church, and I preached my introductory sermons 
in these two churches, the one at 10-30, and the 
other at 2-30, to large congregations. 

Having shipped our goods betore I left, my 
wife remained, and spent the Sabbath with our two 
married daughters in Allenwood, and our children 
had gone to Columbia county on a visit. On Wed- 
nesday I returned to Harrisburg, where I met my 
family, and we remained over night with Mr. Shut- 
ter, my brother-in-law. Thursday morning we 
left by rail for Dillsburg, where we were met by 
friends and conveyed to Rossville, arriving at the 
parsonage about noon. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 303 

We found our goods there and a number of 
friends, with dinner ready, awaiting our arrival. 
Rossville is a small town, seven miles from rail- 
road, located on the "Old York" road, leading 
from Carlisle, Cumberland County, to York city, 
York county. Fixed up in our new home, I pur- 
chased an excellent horse on Saturday for two hun- 
dred dollars cash, and on Sabbath preached my in- 
troductory sermons at Rossville and the Rohler's 
Churches, and thus began my work on the new 
field. 

Rossville charge was a laborious field, consist- 
ing of four churches, two of which were quite dis- 
tant, making a drive of twenty three miles, from 
the time I left home, until I arrived there again. 
Then, too, the roads are very hilly and rough. But 
this was one object in my accepting it. Being a 
chronic dyspeptic, I thought I needed more out 
door exercise, and less study. But I soon found 
that the exposure to bad roads and bad weather 
necessary here, was more injurious to me, than the 
study, with the care I could take of myself on a 
smaller field, so it did not prove to be a benefit, 
but rather an injury to me. 

May 2nd, accompanied by my delegate, I 
drove to-conference for the first time in the West 
Penn'a. Synod, which met in Glenville, in the 
lower end of the county. It was in a very good 
country church, but decidedly " dutch." The fam- 
ily by whom we were entertained, were young 



304 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

farmers, and very kind, but they ate, drank, slept, 
thought and talked " dutch," and could under- 
stand but little English. When we got to the 
church, here they also wanted everything in Ger- 
man, and it was all too " dutch " for me, so we re- 
mained two nights and one day, and then started 
home in the morning. We came by way of York 
city, and my delegate having been Director of the 
York county Alms House, located in the city, 
stopped there for dinner, and I was shown through 
these buildings, which are very fine indeed, and 
the inmates are well cared for. We arrived home 
about five o'clock, and I found my wife very sick. 
She took sick the day I left for Conference, and 
her condition had become so alarming, that they 
telegraphed for me, but having left before the mes- 
sage was delivered at the church, it failed to reach 
me, and when I arrived at home she had improved 
some, and in due time was well again. 

We had District Sunday-school Conventions 
in three of my churches this year. Rossville, Fi- 
ley's, and Rohler's. The first two were well at- 
tended, interesting, and a grand success. The last 
was not so well attended, and was a failure. 

In the fall and winter before leaving White 
Deer charge, I had married several couples, and 
the next summer, for some cause, the one couple 
parted. Soon after their separation we received 
two letters from friends on the charge, and among 
other things they said, " You did not tie that knot 



A WONDER OF GRACE. $0$ 

right, for they have parted already." So I must 
make some reply, and get out of it as best I could. 
I picked up the Almanac and looked at the sign in 
which they were married. It was in the decrease, 
and consequently dark of the moon. The little 
moon pointed down, and the sign was in the Lion. 
I thought, good enough, here is a chance for me. 
So I wrote to them, that I was sorry the couple 
had separated, but the fault was not mine. It is 
because of the sign in which they were married. 
Being in the dark of the moon, would prevent 
them from seeing each other's good qualities. Be- 
ing in the decrease of the moon, would cause their 
affections for each other to decrease. The little 
moon pointing down would naturally draw their 
affections from their hearts to their feet. And 
the sign being in the Lion, which is the King 
of beasts, would spring between them and shake 
his shaggy mane at them, and no man could tie 
a knot to hold against such odds. I hope this 
explanation will be satisfactory. They took a 
hearty laugh over it, and replied that it was satis- 
factory. I am not much ot a believer in signs, but 
this would serve my purpose in this case. 

In August, the Evangelics held a camp-meet- 
ing but a few rods from the parsonage. I attended 
it all through, except on Sunday, and preached 
once for them. It was a great treat for me, to 
meet my old brethren in the ministry, some of 
whom I had been associated with for eighteen 



3o6 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

years in the itinerancy. But the camp was not a 
success. I think the day for camp-meetings is 
past, and they have become so degenerated, that 
they do more harm than good. I am very sure it 
was the case here. Money making by Sunday 
traffic, appeared to be the object, rather than 
the accomplishment of good. Hence everything 
was sold on Sabbath, by consent of the committee, 
except strong drink. Photograph wagons were 
taking pictures within a few rods of the ground on 
Sabbath, and no effort was made on their part to 
prevent it. God cannot be pleased with such Sab- 
bath desecration, and hence the meeting was worse 
than a failure, and should be so, where such things 
are allowed. 

[ give a sample of one picture taken at this 
camp on Sabbath. It was that of four young men, 
two of them were playing cards, the one had a bot- 
tle and a glass, and was taking a drink, while the 
fourth stood with a revolver pointed at him. In 
six weeks after this was taken, two of them were 
dead, and they died as they lived, after a few days 
with typhoid fever. O what a picture for a mother 
to find in the pocket of a deceased son ! No won- 
der she was most wild over his death. And this 
was continued until I had the esquire notified, and 
he ordered them away, so they lett. 

The crops in this country were a failure. The 
wheat especially, and none of the grain or fruit 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 307 

crops were full, but the most complete failure I 
ever saw. September 8th, our daughter Sallie 
took her bed with typhoid lever, and was there for 
six weeks. She had a severe attack of it, and at 
one time her recovery was considered doubtful. 
But by the first week in October she was conva- 
lescent. She had so far recovered, though yet in 
bed, that I left for Synod, which met in Newville, 
Cumberland county, Oct. 12th, 1887. When I 
returned from Synod, I found my wife sick with 
the same lever, though in a milder form. Two 
weeks alter she took her bed, Sallie was able to be 
up again. My wife was in bed lour weeks with it, 
and before she was up, our son Willie took it in a 
mild form. These were trying times, as it was al- 
most impossible to get help. All were afraid of 
the lever. I finally succeeded in securing a very 
good girl, Miss Jennie Krall, but now she took 
sick and must go home, and at the same time 
Tillie, our youngest daughter, took it in a very se- 
vere form, and was in bed nine weeks, For some 
time her recovery was dispaired of. Shortly after 
she took sick, I took it also, and lost five weeks, 
but had it in a mild form Thus we all had the 
fever, and for four months and a half, there was 
one in bed all the time, and part of the time two. 
But by God's blessing ail finally got well. The 
fever was epidemic in this country this fall, never 
known to be so before. Our physician had one 
hundred and six cases, but few deaths. During 



308 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

our affliction, I married four couples in our house, 
whom my wife did not see married, though at 
home. 

During the fever in our family, I held a meet- 
ing in the Rossville church, which resulted in twen- 
ty-five conversions, including our hired girl, and 
was a very good meeting. The best they had for 
a number of years. I had engaged to deliver a 
lecture on Oddfellowship in Literary Hall, New- 
ville, Cumberland county, December 6th, 1887, in 
the evening. On Sabbath, one week previous, I 
preached in Mount Zion church, and announced a 
protracted meeting to begin with a prayer meet- 
ing, December 4th, and promised to return to the 
meeting from Newville on the 7th. When the 
time came to go to Newville, I was not well, yet 
having promised, I went. All the lodges in the 
valley were invited to be present, and excursion 
tickets were sold at every station from Harrisburg 
to Chambersburg. Chambersburg and Carlisle 
lodges were present in a body, and delegations 
from Mechanicsburg, New Kingston, Mount Holly 
and Shippensburg were present. In the evening a 
grand parade was had, when all marched into the 
Hall, and it was densely packed, and many outside 
unable to gain admittance. 

Rev A. W. Lentz, and an M. E. minister 
were on the stand with me. The singing was done 
by a select choir of twenty-five singers. A grand 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 309 

time was had, and after the lecture a free supper 
was served to all members of the Order present. 

The next day I returned home, and was laid 
up with the fever, and so did not get to the Mount 
Zion meeting for five weeks, which was yet in pro- 
gress, and I continued it one week more, making 
six weeks in all. It was a grand meeting. Whole 
families of parents and children were converted, 
ranging from fourteen to seventy-six years of age. 
Sixty-five were converted in all. A grand success, 
and conducted by the friends alone, without preach- 
ing, except the last week, when I was present. 
We see here what the membership may do, if but 
willing to work. I closed the meeting and then 
held a meeting in the Filey's Church of three 
weeks. The meeting was good, resulting in three 
conversions and valuable accessions. I then began 
in the Rohler's Church, but being late in the 
spring, the weather and bad roads were so much 
against us, that we continued it but a short time 
and closed with but little accomplished. 

On the evening of March 2nd, I received a 
letter from Mr. J. Calvin Harmon, stating that his 
mother had died, the funeral to take place on the 
4th, at 10 a. m., and it was her request that I 
should preach her funeral sermon, and they desired 
to have her wishes gratified, if possible, and I 
should come without fail. I left the next morning 
for the funeral by rail. Sister Harmon was the 



3 TO A WONDER OF GRACE. 

wife of Benjamin Harmon, and members of the 
church on the White Deer charge, which I had 
served over five years, and had left less than one 
year ago. She had been very kind to us. The 
funeral was on Sabbath, and largely attended, thus 
affording me the pleasure of seeing many of my 
old friends and acquaintances. I was assisted by 
the pastor, Rev. Stroup. Rev. Rentz was also 
present. Sister Harmon was a charter member of 
the first "Grange" organized in the state, and her 
Grange was present in a body. The funeral took 
place in the Lutheran Church in Black Hole valley, 
Lycoming county, Pa. The next week I stopped 
to see my daughters in Allenwood and Watson- 
town, and then returned home. Thus closed my 
first year on the Rossville charge, April ist, 1888. 

While we had our severe affliction in the fall, 
yet all had recovered, and the friends from Zion 
and Rohler's made us liberal donations, and Ross- 
ville also remembered us kindly. We had also 
met with good success, having had ninety-two con- 
versions on the charge, greatly increased our be- 
nevolence, and upon the whole we could "thank 
God and take courage. 

All our child- en were to visit us during the 
year, except one son. This year, in June, our eld- 
est son, J. Eugene, entered the active ministry by 
accepting a call to the Friesburg charge in New 
Jersey. O I am so glad to see one of my sons in 
the work, beiore I am disabled, and another on the 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 311 

way. May they be men of God, and be able to 
carry forward the work of the Master more suc- 
cessfully than I have done. 

"When this poor lisping, stammering tongue, 
Lies silent in the grave." 

Amen. 




312 A. WONDER OF GRACE, 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

SECOND YEAR AT ROSSVILLE. DEATH OF MY 

ONLY SURVIVING SISTER. FAILING 

HEALTH. ETC 

My second year at Rossville began, April ist, 
1888, and at my spring communions, I admitted to 
church membership in the different congregations, 
forty-seven new members, thus greatly increasing 
the membership and giving a new impetus to the 
work on the entire charge. 

This spring our son Elmer spent one week 
with us, just before the commeixement exercises 
at Selin's Grove. He was with me over the Sab- 
bath of our communion in the Rohler's church. I 
had preparatory services on Saturday afternoon, 
and he was present. He then preached for me in 
the evening. On Sabbath morning I had my com- 
munion, after which we drove twelve miles over a 
very hilly road to a funeral at two o'clock, near the 
Filey's Church. The services were held in the 
church, and it was one of the largest funerals I 
think I ever attended, there being over six hun- 
dred people present. It was an elderly man that 
was buried. At one time he was very active in 
the church, an official, a leader of the prayer meet- 
ing, a lively exhorter, and almost a preacher, but 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 313 

he had fallen trom grace, and died a drinking man. 
u Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest 
he fall." When I inquired why so many were at 
the funeral, the reply was, u They came to hear 
what the preacher would say about him," and they 
did hear it. When I came to speak of the dead, 
I said, it is useless for me to say anything of the 
dead, as you knew him much better than I did. 
We leave him in the hands of the Lord, knowing 
that he will do what is right. He was the worst 
man I ever saw, if he had no good qualities. And 
he was the best man I ever saw, if he had no J 'ail- 
ings. Therefore bury his faults with his body, 
and copy what was good in him. 

Alter the funeral we returned to Rossville and 
he preached for me there in the evening. Thus 
we drove twenty-four miles, held communion, at- 
tended the funeral and held the evening services. 
A big days work. His preaching was very much 
appreciated by myself and the people. 

A lew weeks previous I had a very largj fun- 
eral in the Mount Zion Church. It was the fun- 
eral of Mr. Henry Sprenkle, a young man who 
had been converted at the meeting there but a few 
months previous. He died very happy. Just be- 
fore his death, he called his parents, brothers and 
sisters to his bedside, and talked to them, and 
made all the arrangements for his funeral. He se- 
lected his burying place, his bearers, the hymns to 
be sung at his funeral, the scripture lesson to be 



3 T 4 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

read, and me to preach the funeral sermon, select- 
ing my own text. He then divided his personal 
effects, among them, presenting his watch to his 
father, and a gold ring to his mother, bade them 
goodby and died. Four hundred and fifty persons 
looked upon his face for the last time, as he lay in 
his coffin, covered with floral decorations, as it 
stood at the altar in the church, where but a few 
months previous, he had kneeled as a penitent, and 
then arose as a sinner, saved by grace, and happy 
in redeeming love. O what a blessing that he had 
sought the Lord, and thus prepared for an early 
death. None doubted his salvation, but if his 
death had occured a few months sooner, it had 
been otherwise. " O there is danger and death 
in delay." 

May 14th, I attended Conference in New 
Freedom, Rev. E. Miller, D. D. pastor, at which time 
I read an essay on " Luther's work and experience 
at the Wartburg," by appointment of the commit- 
tee on programme, which was highly compli- 
mented and may appear in this book. 

In luly our eldest son, Eugene, spent a Sab- 
bath with us and preached for me in the Mount 
Zion and Filey Churches to the great satisfaction 
of all, and I was greatly pleased to have the privi- 
lege of hearing both of our sons preach for the 
first time, and I was fully satisfied that by God's 
blessing, both would make " able ministers of the 
New Testament." O what a consolation to a 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 315 

father. I almost felt to exclaim, " Now Lord, let- 
test thou thy servant depart in peace." But the 
one has not yet completed his studies, and may 
need some assistance from me, so it may be best 
that I should remain a little longer. As the Lord 
will, so may it be. 

This spring I was sent for, to visit three el- 
derly men, who were sick. All three had requested 
me to preach their funeral sermons. Two were 
not members of church, the other was a member 
of the Reformed church, and was prepared to die. 
One made preparation during his sickness, the 
other did not. All were afflicted with different 
deseases, yet it so happened that all three lay a 
corpse at one time, two to be buried at the same 
hour, and distant apart, so I could attend but one 
of them. I was sent for to preach three funeral 
sermons at one hour, and could preach but one of 
them, and preached for two of the three referred 
to, as the third one was buried the day after the 
first two. The one I missed was the one who had 
made no preparation for death. I was sent lor five 
funerals that one week, and could preach but for 
three ot them, as three were at one hour, and at 
different places. 

This fall we repaired and improved the Ross- 
ville Church, which was very much needed. We 
made almost a new church of it, at a cost of five 
hundred dollars, all of which was provided for on 
the day of reopening, at which time I officiated 



3l6 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

alone. We also painted the parsonage. I also 
dedicated a new Union Church in Fishing Creek 
valley, York county, assisted by two other breth- 
ren, one of the Evangelical Association, and the 
other of the U. B. Church. 

September 3rd, I went to Columbia county, 
to see my only remaining sister, Mrs. James 
Kocher, who was lying at the point of death at the 
time. I arrived there at eight o'clock in the even- 
ing, and found her unconscious. She remained in 
that condition until four in the morning, when she 
breathed her last. I then went to visit my broth- 
er-in-law up Fishing Creek valley, intending to re- 
turn to the funeral, but took sick, and was unable 
to attend the funeral at all. She had been a most 
active and worthy member of the Baptist Church 
for many years, and lived and died a most excel- 
lent christian lady. Her eldest son is a minister in 
the Baptist Church. Thus the last of my sisters is 
gone, and but three of our family are now living. 

After I had recovered sufficiently, I returned 
home, resolved never to go so far from home 
again, unless in case of necessity, and I never have. 
September 26th completed my thirty years in the 
ministry, at which time I preached anniversary 
sermons in each of my churches to large and 
deeply interested congregations from the text in 
1 Cor. xv. 10 — " By the grace of God I am what I 
am," having announced it previously. 

This fall I preached the funeral sermon for a 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 3l7 

young man, Mr. Comfort, who was accidently 
killed by a falling tree, while assisting his father in 
cutting timber near Rossville. 

October 10th, 1888, I attended our Synod, 
which met in New Oxford, Adams county, at 
which time I reported forty-seven accessions. 

In the fall we had a very successful meeting 
in the Rohler's Church, resulting in a number of 
conversions, and important accessions to the 
church. 

But now my health began to fail, and I be- 
came so feeble, that I was unable to hold meetings 
in the other churches, and frequently unable, even 
to fill my regular appointments. 

On New Year's day the Mount Zion and Fi- 
ley's congregations made us a liberal donation. 
After a most excellent dinner, which they had 
brought with them, we had a prayer and experi- 
ence meeting together, and God's power was won- 
derfully manifested in our midst. All felt that it 
was " good to be there," and it was a time long to 
be remembered. Rossville also visited us one ev- 
ening loaded with gifts, accompanied by the Ross- 
ville Cornet Band, which furnished most excellent 
music for the occasion. The following account of 
which appeared in a York paper, written by my- 
self: 

Pastor Dietterich Surprised. 

Rossville, Feb. 19th, 1889. 
If a stranger had stood on the square in Ross- 



3*8 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

ville on the evening of the 15th, and seen the "hur- 
rying to and fro in hot haste," especially among 
the ladies, and had seen the ladies and gentlemen 
flocking together from every direction, until quite 
a crowd had assembled, they might have inquired 
with astonishment, " What meaneth all this com- 
motion ? " But about half-past seven the order to 
" fall in " was given, when all marched down 
Church street to the parsonage, when a halt was 
called 

Meanwhile the parson and family were quietly 
seated in their sitting room, the parson busily en- 
gaged in reading and the different members of his 
family were variously employed, when suddenly a 
rap was heard at the door. Miss Sallie stepped to 
the door to see who was there, when about forty 
ladies and gentlemen marched in two by two, all 
armed with packages. The parson and his lady 
seeing that resistance would be useless against 
such odds, quietly submitted to the overpowering 
numbers, who took peaceable possession and pro- 
ceded to the kitchen, where they unloaded and, be- 
ing rid of their burdens, proceded to have a pleas- 
ant evening. Soon another rap was heard at the 
door and when it was opened, here stood the Ross- 
ville Cornet Band, Prof. D. W. Smyser at the head. 
They were invited in and given a room where they 
furnished excellent music for the eveniny. The 
evening was spent in social chat, playing innocent 
games by the young, and music by the band. 



A WONDER OF GRACE, - 3*9 

Some fifty in all were present, and when they left 
lor their homes, at a seasonable hour, all left their 
packages behind and the pastor and family found 
themselves much richer in groceries, feed, etc., 
than before. Before separating the pastor ex- 
pressed thanks of himself and family to all ior their 
friendly visit, inviting them back again, when all 
united in singing, after which the reverend gentle- 
man offered prayer. These were all from the 
Rossville congregation. 

Some forty friends from the Filey's and Mount 
Zions congregations made the pastor a liberal do- 
nation visit on New Year's day also. 

The pastor says such visits are very cheering 
to a minister, and while the gifts are highly appre- 
ciated, the kindly feeling manifested is above all 
cheering to the pastor and helps to disperse many 
a dark cloud that gathers over his head in doing 
the work of the Master. May the good Lord bless 
and abundantly reward all the participants in these 
friendly visits. A. 

My health continued to decline, and I felt that 
I could not endure the exposure necessary on so 
large a field, and told the friends so. In April we 
arranged to go to Williamsport, Pa., to consult Dr. 
Koser, a celebrated specialist, and place myself un- 
der his treatment, as he had treated me very suc- 
cessfully some years before. Just then I received 
an invitation to visit the Salona charge, with the 



320 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

view of becoming their pastor, stating that they 
had announced preaching for me, April 28th, and 
hoped that I would be able to be with them at that 
time. I thought this providential and hoped that I 
might be able to serve them, there being but two 
churches, and not far apart, and on the way I could 
consult the doctor and get his advise. So we post- 
poned our visit to the doctor one week, and I 
wrote to Salona that it would be impossible for me 
to preach for them on the 28th, but would do so 
on the 5th of May. I was unable to speak above 
a whisper at the time, and had been so at times 
most of the winter. 

On Sabbath, March 3rd, I was obliged to drive 
home nine miles through an immence rain to marry 
a couple, according to previous promice. Monday 
and Tuesday it rained most powerfully all the 
time. Wednesday and Thursday I had a funeral 
each day, and each one made me some twenty 
miles drive, and when I got home Thursday even- 
ing I was obliged to send for the doctor. Friday 
evening I was lying on the lounge, and Sallie and 
Tillie were in the room with me, my wife had gone 
to Selin's Grove to see our son Elmer, who was 
dangerously ill at the time. 

About seven o'clock the doctor came in to see 
me, and while he was sitting at the stove warming 
himself, we had an earth quake, the only one I 
ever felt. There were two distinct waves, accom- 
panied by a rumbling noise, resembling distant 



A WONDER OF GRACF. 32 C 

thunder. It caused the house and lounge, on 
which I was lying, to sway to and fro, and almost 
upset the parlor stove. The girls were very much 
alarmed, and the doctor became quite excited, and 
springing to his feet, exclaimed, " My God, what 
was that." I was perfectly calm, and replied it 
was an earth quake. He then said, u Where is 
Mrs. Dietterich, perhaps she left something fall up- 
stairs." I said, no, it is an earth quake, for she is 
in Selin's Grove and there is no one in the house, 
but what are here in the room. He then ran out 
of the house to see whether others had heard it, 
and he found e^ery one excited over it. He then 
came in and administered to me hurridly and went 
off up town, where he stopped in the store and 
found all excited. He then told them how it had 
excited him, and said he had made use of language 
in the presence of the preacher, for which he was 
very sorry, having reference to the expression 
above referred to. 

May ist, accompanied by my wife, we went 
to Williamsport and consulted the doctor, and he 
examined and treated me, and said I should go to 
Salona and preach for them, and on my return I 
should stop, and he would perform an operation on 
me, and I would never have any more trouble with 
my throat. I went to Salona and was unanimously 
elected. I then returned to the doctor and he per- 
formed an operation in my head, by sawing sev- 
eral bones out of it, through the nostrils, also de- 



322 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

stroyed a catarral conjestion by electrical cauteri- 
sings through the nostril. That is, burning it out 
with an iron heated to a white heat, and I have 
never had any trouble with my throat since. On 
Wednesday I received a call to Salona, and on the 
doctor's advice, accepted it, my work to begin 
July ist, 1889. I then returned home and resigned 
the Rossville charge, to take effect June 16th. 

It was with deep regret that my resignation 
was accepted, but all knew that it was best tor 
both myself and the charge, as they saw I could 
not endure the exposure necessary on that charge, 
and therefore accepted it. I never labored among 
a people where my labors were apparently more 
appreciated than here, but it was impossible for 
me to serve them longer, and so I finished my 
work on the charge, June 16th 

Though my work was very much interrupted 
the first fall by the fever, and the second winter by 
my feeble health, yet a good work had been ac- 
complished. The first year we had ninety-two 
conversions, and I admitted to membership fifty- 
nine persons. While on the charge I married 
twenty couples, attended thirty-three funerals, and 
was sent for ten, I could not attend, and preached 
three hundred and thirty-seven sermons in all. 
In addition to this we repaired the Rossville 
Church, at a cost of rive hundred dollars, which 
was all provided for at the re-opening, at which 
time 1 officiated alone We also painted the par- 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 323 

sonage, and increased our benevolence from forty- 
seven dollars and fifty cents, reported by my pred- 
ecessor, his last year, to one hundred and thirty 
dollars and twenty-one cents, my last year. 
Surely a good work had been accomplished, for 
which the Lord be praised. 

One evening during our meeting in the Mount 
Zion Church, the weather was very inclement, in 
consequence of which the church was not quite 
full, and I noticed a young man about the middle 
of the church, lying stretched out at full length in 
an empty pew, during almost the entire service. 
After preaching we labored awhile with the peni- 
tents at the altar, and he was yet lying there. I 
then had the penitents arise and be seated, and I 
proceeded to give them such instructions and en- 
couragement as I thought they needed. This done, 
I looked out over the congregation and remarked, 
we all differ in our views of things. In our likes 
and dislikes, and the old saying, " Many men of 
many minds," is a very true one. When my wife 
and myself took up house-keeping for instance, 
cord beds were in general use, and hence we used 
them — but in after years the slat bed became quite 
general, yet I never liked them. They are too 
hard for me to lie on, so we stuck to the cord bed 
until we moved to Rossville, when I purchased a 
new bed with spiral springs and wool mattress, 
and this suits me best of all, it is so soft and nice ; 
but there I see a young man who appears to enjoy 



324 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

lying on the soft side of a pine board, and has lain 
there all evening — arise and be dismissed, and I 
pronounced the benediction. The young man 
crawled up very much ashamed, and ever after- 
wards could sit up during service, but he did not 
hear the last about the spring bed for some time to 
come. 

But now I must go, as my time is up. Fare- 
well, Rossville. God bless you, and revive and 
prosper his work more abundantly among you in 
the future than in the past. Amen. 




A WONDER OF GRACE. 325 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

MOVE TO SALONA. A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF 
THE FLOOD THERE ETC. 

June 1 8th, 1889, we shipped our goods to Sa- 
lona by rail, and my family took the train. Willie, 
our youngest son, and myself drove up with my 
horse and buggy, and had considerable difficulty to 
get there. The bridges, and in many places the 
very road bed had been swept away by the terri- 
ble flood of June 1st, the most terrible flood ever 
known in the state. We were obliged in some in- 
stances to take by and round-about roads, and to 
ford streams, in one instance so deep, that the wa- 
ter came into the buggy-box, which frightened my 
son very much, but we got through safely. We 
all spent a few days with our sons-in-law, Mr. J. 
D. Golders, in Allenwood, Union county, and Mr. 
W. E. Steckels, in Dewart, Northumberland 
county. We then visited our old home on the 
White Deer charge, where we spent several days, 
and I preached in the home church on Sabbath. 
Thursday, June 27th, we all arrived in Salona 
about noon, accompanied by our daughter and her 
husband, Mr. and Mrs. Steckel, who went along to 
see the place, and to help us in fixing up again in 
the new home. 



326 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

But oh, the change in the place. The havoc 
and destruction caused by the flood is seen every- 
where. Settled in the new home, I wrote the fol- 
lowing report, July nth, which appeared in the 
Observer of July 19th. 

The Flood at Salona, Pa. 

Rev. F. W. Conrad, D. D. 

Dear Brother : Will you please give us a 
little space in the Observer, that we may furnish 
your many readers with a brief account of the 
flood in Salona, Clinton county, and how our 
church fared in this place. I preached my visit 
sermons here on the 5th of May. It was my first 
visit to Salona, and I found the town in a flourish- 
ing condition, with beautiful homes, a fine parson- 
age and good congregation. Being unanimously 
elected, I accepted a call to become their pastor, 
my work to begin on June 30th. The friends 
kindly went to work and made the garden and 
planted the lot so as to have all in an encouraging 
condition when we should arrive on the field, and 
the prospects were very cheering. But before the 
time for moving came I received two communica- 
tions from Salona, stating that they had been vis- 
ited by the flood and that I would not find the par- 
sonage or the town as I had seen it when there be- 
fore. But that they would try to have things as 
pleasant as possible for us by the time we would 
arrive. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 327 

We arrived in Salona Thursday noon, June 
27th. After a most excellent dinner at Brother 
Benjamin Krape's, we were conveyed to the par- 
sonage. At six o'clock the friends gave us a re- 
ception with a sumptuous supper, and a very 
pleasant time was had. 

But the change in the town, parsonage and 
church lar exceeded my utmost apprehensions, 
and must be seen to be realized. It cannot be de- 
scribed. Salona, I think, is second only to Johns- 
town in loss of life and property, according to 
population and wealth — in destruction of property 
at least. Especially is this destruction remarkable 
when we remember that there is no stream at all 
flowing through our end of town. There is what 
is termed the " Dry Run," which flows part of 
the year, but has been dry ever since and even be- 
fore the flood. 

A few rods below the parsonage quite a 
stream arises and flows through Salona and emp- 
ties into the Fishing Creek below town. Fishing 
Creek is quite a large stream, and did much dam- 
age at Mackeyville, Yankey Town, and Mill Hall. 
What gave rise to the flood in Salona was three 
immense water spouts on the mountain — one sev- 
eral miles distant near the " East end " of the val- 
ley, and two at the Gap, two miles distant, where 
the road leads to Loganville and into Sugar Valley. 
And all this, water rushed through Salona between 
midnight and daylight Saturday morning. 



3«8 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

Near the " Gap " is a small collection of houses 
called " Flat Rock." In the " Gap " stood a house 
occupied by two families. The one family con- 
sisted of parents and three children. The other 
family had but one child. A young lady was also 
stopping with them at the time. Both husbands 
were from home, being up the river in the lumber 
woods. Friday night about midnight these fami- 
lies were awakened by the noise occasioned by the 
water and drift rushing against the house. They 
arose, dressed themselves, and seeing no way of 
escape, took the Bible, read a chapter, knelt to- 
gether and offered prayer. After worship, all sat 
themselves upon a bed and awaited results. Soon 
the house was thrown partly over, the walls gave 
way, and the bed being on castors, rushed out into 
the raging waters, with its seven occupants, and 
all were drowned but the young lady, who was 
carried some distance and landed on a pile of drift, 
where she remained until morning, and finally 
made her escape to a neighboring house, cold, 
bruised, sore, and almost nude, her clothes being 
torn from her by the drift through which she was 
hurried by the rushing stream before she landed, 
as above referred to. The body of one of the chil- 
dren has not yet been found. 

This mighty rush of water reached Salona 
-about one o'clock in the morning, carrying every 
thing: before it — houses, barns, outbuildings, fences, 
and in many places the very soil ; and where be- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 329 

fore had been beautiful yards and fine gardens, noth- 
ing but heaps of stones were left. One house, oc- 
cupied by Brother Whiting and wife, members of 
our church, was carried away, and both were 
drowned. Their four children made their escape 
a few minutes before, intending to return lor their 
parents ; but the rise in the water was so rapid 
that this was impossible. Brother Whiting was a 
consumptive, and unable to do much himself by 
way of escape. A few rods further down the 
stream, another house, occupied by three elderly 
persons, was also swept away, and all were 
drowned. One, quite an old lady, was only found 
on the 9th inst. A few rods below this house 
stood another house occupied by Mr. David Dun- 
kel and wife, young people. It was entirely de- 
molished and carried away. Mr. and Mrs. Dun- 
kel clung to the roof, anJ were carried over two 
dams to Mill Hall, two miles distant, and made 
their escape. Many other houses were so dam- 
aged as to be worthless, and must be pulled down 
and rebuilt. 

DAMAGE TO OUR CHURCH. 

Our church, which is a large brick structure, 
saved the parsonage and three houses between the 
parsonage and church by dividing the stream. 
But the church, which needed repairs before (and 
arrangements were being made to repair it), needs 
it much more now. The water was four feet deep 



33° A WONDER OF GRACE. 

in the basement, depositing a large quantity of mud 
in it — ruined the Sunday-school organ entirely, de- 
stroyed a number of Bibles, broke the windows, 
carried ofY the blinds, all the fence, some of the 
shade trees, and tore out one corner of the brick 
wall. 

All the out buildings (except the stable), some 
fruit trees, fence and the soil, were entirely swept 
from the parsonage lot. The cellar was filled 
with mud, the cistern spoiled, and the well ren- 
dered worthless until cleaned. The mud and wa- 
ter were also in the kitchen. The friends had 
fixed the lot, cleaned the house and built part of 
the fence, and had things in good shape as possi- 
ble when we came. But it will require much la- 
bor and expense yet to make it as it was, and our 
congregation has lost heavily and will be unable to 
make the necessary repairs on the church and par- 
sonage unless needed help comes from elsewhere. 
Our Sunday-school is very much in need of an or- 
gan. Will not the kind friends come to our help ? 
The friends at St. Paul, some of them lost heavily 
also, as they live along Fishing Creek, where 
much damage was done. And some at Mackey- 
ville, where eight persons were drowned. 

Money by the thousands flows into the larger 
towns and cities for the relief of the flood sufferers, 
but the smaller places are almost forgotten or 
passed by, and do not receive the aid they should. 
We claim that according to our population and 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 331 

wealth, our loss of life and property is heavier than 
either that of Lock Haven or Williamsport, and 
any one visiting us and viewing the ruins will be 
convinced of the correctness of this statement. 
Yet thousands of dollars flow into those cities, 
while the smaller places are passed by in many 
cases. These things ought not so to be. While it 
is right to help these larger places, the smaller 
ones should be remembered also. We have re- 
ceived some aid, but not what is needed. 

We hope our Church at large will remember 
our congregation in this our time of need. But 
though flooded, we are not discouraged. " In the 
name of our God we have set up our banners," 
and we expect to succeed. The members are at 
work and appear to be of good cheer. The Sun- 
day-schools and preaching are well attended, and 
by hearty co-operation, earnest eftort and self-de- 
nial, we shall labor on, leaving results with the 
Lord. 

Any assistance that may come to us lor church 
repairs or for getting an organ for our Sunday- 
school would be thankfully received and abundantly 
rewarded by the Lord. 

Contributions should be sent to William Bart- 
ges, Cedar Springs ; or to George Krape, Salona, 
Clinton county, Pa. 

H. A. Dietterich, Pastor. 

July nth, 1889. 



33 2 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

The water spouts, or cloud bursts, which 
caused the flood here, were wonderful indeed. 
Thousands of people have visited our valley to see 
the slides and washouts. There is one at the East 
end of the valley, four miles from Salona, which is 
worthy of note. It was caused by a water spout, 
which struck near the top of the mountain. It 
looks as though it had poured out of a round ves- 
sel. The washout is oval shaped at the top, 
twenty feet wide and ten feet deep, and as it 
poured down the mountain side one mile, it up- 
rooted and carried with it, or threw out to the 
sides, great trees and immense rocks, and widened 
out toward the mountain base to thirty or more 
rods, and washed in some places twenty or more 
feet deep. Judging from the drift, lodged on the 
first trees left standing near the foot of the moun- 
tain, the water must have been twenty feet high, 
and the trees are bespattered with mud and sand, 
from thirty to forty feet high. Its force and power 
must have been wonderful, indeed, as oak and pine 
trees, two or more feet in diameter, and rocks, 
weighing perhaps a ton or more, were lifted up 
and piled along the sides or deposited in masses 
below. It appeared to act something like a snow 
plough, throwing the trees, rocks and ground in 
immense banks along the sides of the washout 
from the top to the base of the mountain. And 
what appears the most striking, perhaps, is the fact 
that the dead leaves on the ground, one foot from 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 333 

either side, or the top of the slide, are undisturbed, 
not even washed away. I have been over it from 
one end to the other several times, and looked at it 
with astonishment and wonder. This will remain 
as a mark of the great flood of 1889, perhaps until 
time shall be no more. The public road leading 
through a cut in the mountains from Salona, Nit- 
tany valley, to Loganton in Sugar valley was so 
destroyed, that in many places it was impossible 
to trace the old road bed. In some places trees, 
three feet in diameter, were torn up and drifted on 
it with other debris, and in some places it was 
washed out twenty to thirty feet deep. 

At one place a water spout caused the end of 
the mountain to slide down into the road. Rocks, 
stones, ground and trees were drifted from the end 
of the mountain and lodged on the road, thirty feet 
high, and two hundred feet wide. It cost our 
township over three thousand dollars to open this 
road alone. Here five houses were destroyed, 
and six persons were drowned. The body of one 
has never been found. There is a small stream 
flows through this cut in the mountain, but when 
it enters the valley two miles from Salona, it sinks 
and flows under ground, until about forty or fifty 
rods below the parsonage, where it again comes to 
the surface, and there is a large mill and mill pond 
right there, hence there is no flowing stream 
through that end of town, only when the stream 
becomes too much swollen for the water to flow 



334 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

in the channel under ground, which is seldom the 
case. Yet right here all the water lrom these 
cloud bursts rushed through about one o'clock in 
the morning, sweeping houses and barns before it, 
and in many places all the soil, ruining yards, gar- 
dens and parts of fields. Acres and acres are ren- 
dered entirely worthless, and great damage was 
done, much of which can never be repaired. 
Eleven persons were drowned along this stream, 
and nine just across the ridge, two miles from Sa- 
lona, making twenty persons in all, in our town- 
ship, the bodies of two of whom have never been 
found, and some wonderful experiences were had, 
and remarkable escapes were made. 

I will close on this subject by giving the re- 
markable experience and escape of Brother D. B. 
Krape, as he related it to myself and lamily. 
Brother Krape had been for many years the leader 
of the choir in our church, and superintendent of 
the infant department in our Sabbath-school, but 
is now living in Williamsport, because of his being 
flooded out in Salona. Brother Krape was a man 
of 49 years of age at the time. He is a man of 
powerful physique and great strength. He lived 
up town, some distance above the church, where 
he had a grand home, a fine, large, new house 
and barn. His barn was 64 feet long, including 
the shed, and had been built but one year, and was 
a grand structure. He also had large shops, doing 
a large business in the manifacture of buggies, etc., 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 335 

and was also in the undertaking business on a 
large scale. He and his family, consisting of his 
wife, a son and a daughter, were aroused at i 
o'clock Saturday morning by his father, who lived 
a little farther up town, on the opposite side of the 
street, shouting a warning to them from across the 
way, being unable to get to the house because of 
the rise in the stream. The family arose and 
dressed, and Mr. Krape, quite naturally, walked 
out to the barn to look after the stock, and in doing 
so, found but very little water on the wav, but the 
stable being a little wet, he tied his horse and cows 
on the threshing floor. He then started for the 
house, but the rise in the water had been so rapid, 
that when he stepped out of the barn, it took him 
off of his feet and swept him into the wagon shed. 
From the wagon shed, he made his way back into 
the barn without much difficulty, but in a short 
time the rapidly rising water necessitated him to 
climb upon the straw mow, and he sat down there, 
but soon he felt the water coming through the 
straw and he then sought refuse on top of the 
granary. Here he could hear the rapidly rising 
water and drift beat against the barn and he said, 
'• I looked up and I said, Lord, if my work is done, 
it is all right, but I will keep perfectly calm, and 
make the best of it." He had been there probably 
near a half hour, when the barn, though a hand- 
some, new and well constructed building, began to 
float off. His irightened wife and family, who did 



336 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

not know whether the absent one was alive or 
dead, heard the timbers of the barn groan and 
crack. After floating about a rod, the barn went 
to pieces, but Mr. Krape was not harmed in the 
least, in the demolition that ensued. The granary 
remained intact, and he perched thereon, sailed 
down through the garden lots, passing through the 
parsonage garden, between the house and stable, 
the fences all having been already taken away by 
the rushing waters. When perhaps forty rods be- 
low the parsonage, as he entered the head of the 
mill pond, the moving mass went under a large 
elm tree, when he was brushed off of his place by 
a large limb, which hit him on the lips and knocked 
his mouth out of shape, and it was sore for some 
time afterwards. Brushed from the granary, he 
sank far, far down in the deep water, then he rose, 
but his head struck against heavy timbers and he 
sank again. Again his ascent was obstructed, and 
he sank a third time. But he kept his nerve, and 
when he came up the third time he was on the 
surface of the water. The obstruction had passed 
over him. At this juncture it was dark as pitch 
and raining powerfully, and in striking around for 
something to support himself, his hand came in 
contact with a small piece of scantling, as he sup- 
posed it to be, the brace out of a building, by 
means of which he managed to keep his head 
above water as he was passing through the mill 
pond, until he felt a board strike his hip. He 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 337 

reached back and slid the board underneath him ; 
he had now reached the breast of the mill dam, 
and it being already washed out, the current took 
the board and the man, and shot them like a can- 
non ball into an open door of a neighbor's house, 
Alex. Whiting's, which was rapidly filling up with 
water. The force of the current threw the board 
and man through the doorway and against a stair- 
way with such force of contact, as to pitch him 
forward heavily. In some manner his head got 
close to the steps, and his chin was merely above 
the water, while the drift rushing in rapidly behind 
pinioned him fast, so that he was wedged in front 
and back, and hemmed in by the stairway walls, 
and the waves would frequently pass over his head. 
With his neck held close down to the stairs he 
shouted for help. Mr. Whiting, who was in deli- 
cate health, being a consumptive, answered, " I 
cannot help you." But in this almost hopeless 
position Mr. Krape did not despair. He waited. 
Suddenly there was a rushing noise, and the walls 
on either side of the stairway bulged out, thus per- 
mitting him to get a grip on either side of the 
steps. He now raised himself up, and was soon 
in the room of Mr. Whiting and wife, who were 
dressed, and anxiously listening to the storm with- 
out. 

They had four children, two sons, about 
grown to manhood, and two daughters, who were 
but chunks of girls. The boys each took a sister 



33^ A WONDER OF GRACE 

and made their escape a few minutes before 
Krape's arrival, intending to return for their par- 
ents, but the rise in the water was so rapid, that 
this was impossible, and it was with great difficulty 
that they reached the shore. The one daughter 
came very near being drowned. Mr. Krape was 
here perhaps fifteen minutes, during which time he 
related to Whiting how he had got there. Mr. 
Whiting then asked, " What do you think of the 
situation. " "I think we are doomed," he replied. 
"Well, if we have to die, we might as well die to- 
gether," said Whiting. He was perfectly calm, 
but his poor wife shrieked in a frenzy that Brother 
Krape will not forget to his dying day, about her 
children, whom she did not know to be safe. 
Whiting then led his wife across the room. They 
lay on the bed together, embraced each other, and 
shook hands, and said " goodby " to Krape, who 
started for the window. The house was rather an 
old, yet a good log building, rough cast, or plas- 
tered on the outside, but now a log washed out on 
the lower side and the house dropped so much on 
that side. Soon another went, and now the joice 
in the upper floor pulled out of the wall and the 
floor dropped down and fell on that man and his 
wife, but missed Krape, as he was in the window. 
He heard a gurgling sound come from the bed, 
and Whiting and his wife were drowned. There 
was but a gasp, a brief struggle, and all was over. 
The house now went to pieces, and from the win- 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 339 

dow Krape managed to climb upon the roof and 
was again hurried down the rapid stream. In a 
short time he saw a light streaming across the 
flood. Following its rays with his eyes he ob- 
served that it came from a lamp set in the window 
of a house occupied by Mr. Leonard Hartman. 
Krape raised his voice and sent it across the water 
in a loud halloa. His cry was answered, but Hart- 
man could not aid him, because there were six 
feet of water in his house, and it was impossible 
for him to get out. The fugitive now saw by the 
light of the lamp, two large apple trees coming 
down the stream, and in another moment they 
struck the roof on which he was riding, and 
knocked it to pieces, but he now sprang on to the 
roof ot a standing building, but did not know 
where he was. The rain did not lessen all that 
black night. It made him cold, and with his hands 
he wrenched loose several shingles, made an aper- 
ture in the roof and dropped inside the structure. 
Here he had a chance to breathe and vomit a large 
quantity of water which he had swallowed during 
the occurence of the events recorded above. In a 
few moments he returned to the roof, when the 
building was crushed to pieces, and carried down 
the stream, throwing Krape out into the deep 
again, but he grabbed around for something with 
which to keep himself above water, when he 
caught hold of a lath with a row of shingles on it ; 
with this he kept himself up for some distance, 



34° A WONDER OF GRACE. 

when a small front porch passed and he got on to 
that, which he said he found to be the best thing 
to ride on he had yet got hold of. He went but a 
short distance, when the creek made a short curve 
and the current threw him and the porch across 
the Fishing Creek upon a pile of drift, on which he 
spent the remainder of the night. At daylight his 
neighbors came to the rescue, and by the aid of 
ropes he was safely removed and taken to the 
house of a neighbor. The distance traveled by him 
was about one mile, and he was out from i to 5 
o'clock. All complained of the water being so 
cold and Mr. Krape was almost frozen. He said 
he sat all in a heap on the pile ot drift, so as to 
keep warm as possible, and while sitting thus, 
something licked him across the mouth and fright- 
ened him so, that he yelled out, and when it be- 
came daylight he saw that it was Mr. Whiting's 
dog, who had landed on the same pile of drift with 
himself. When the friends got Mr. Krape into 
the house he was almost frozen, and they gave 
him stimulants and heated up the stove, so as to 
get him warmed up, and when the reaction took 
place he was unconscious for two hours. His 
clothes were all torn to pieces and his body sorely 
bruised by the drift through which he had passed. 
Having recovered consciousness, he became very 
anxious about the family and feared they had met 
a worse fate than himself. Brother David Diven 
now went across the ridge to see after them. He 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 34 1 

saw the house standing, but could not get to it, or 
hear any thing from the family, because the house 
stood on the opposite side of the stream, which 
was yet very high and rapid. Brother Diven re- 
turned and told him the house was yet standing, 
and he supposed the family was all right. But 
Brother Krape could not rest, and so Brother Di- 
ven hitched up and took him across the ridge to a 
neighbor's house. On the way he said to Brother 
Diven, u Now tell me the worst, I believe my fam- 
ily are all drowned and you are only trying to let 
me down easy." But Diven assured him the house 
was standing, and he thought the family were all 
safe. After being at this house a short time, still 
being unable to rest, he said, " Take me over to 
the parsonage (which was empty at the time) and 
I will sit on the front porch, and let one go up the 
ridge, opposite my house and call to the family 
and tell them to come down through the field un- 
til I can see them." And they did so. Brother 
Krape said, " I sat on the front porch at the par- 
sonage and waited and watched for some time 
with great anxiety, and fearing the worst, but fin- 
ally I saw my son come down through the field 
alone, and my heart sank within me. I thought, 
he is all that is left, but wait awhile. Soon I saw 
my wife and daughter coming, and I saw all were 
saved," and as he said this he could say no more, 
as his feelings overcame him and he burst out in a 
flood of tears. It was yet some time before they 



34 2 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

could get together, being on opposite sides of the 
stream, which was very high, but he was finally 
restored to his family. They had been driven to 
the second story of the house, but all were saved, 
but he had nothing left but his house and family. 
His barn, large buggy and undertaker's shop, with 
all their contents were lost, and all the fence and 
soil were swept from his lot, and deep gulches 
were washed out all around his house. His was 
surely a wonderful experience and a miraculous 
escape. 

The reader will naturally suppose that Mr. 
Krape was a great waterman and an expert swim- 
mer and hence his escape, but on the contrary he 
assured me that he never could swim at all, hence 
it was entirely owing to his presence of mind, 
great powers of endurance and God's blessing, 
that he was saved from death in the raging flood. 

Many other alarming experiences were had, 
and narrow escapes were made, while twenty 
were drowned in our township, the bodies of two 
persons have never been found. The following is 
a li^t of the names and ages of all drowned in the 
county, which shows that whole families from the 
aged to the little babe on its mother's breast were 
swept away. Thirty persons in all. 

DEATHS IN CLINTON CO. 

The following are the names of those who 
were drowned by the flood in this county, together 
with their respective ages : 



A WONDER OF GRACE, 343 

Robert Armstrong, 58 ; Mrs. Jane Armstrong, 
56 ; Mrs. Jane Barner, 29 ; John Barner, 10 ; 
Harry Barner, 2 ; Dessie Barner, infant , Mrs. 
Clara Cole, 26; Myrtle Cole, 1 ; William Confer, 
28 ; Mrs. Rosanna Confer, 26 ; Calvin Confer, 5 ; 
Sarah Confer, 3 ; Jennie Confer, infant ; William 
Emerheiser, 50 ; Mrs. William Emerheiser, 50 , 
James Guilford, 38 ; John Harter. 70 5 Allen Kash- 
ner, 4 ; William Kashner, infant ; Andrew J. 
Rhine, 55 ; Mrs. Rachel Rhine, 47 ; Alice J. 
Rhine, 15 , Charles Rhine, 7 ; Mrs. Mary C. Sey- 
ler, 36 ; Wilbur J. Seyler, 9 ; Lewis C. Seyler, 7 ; 
Franklin M. Seyler, 5 ; Mrs. Daniel Snyder, 74 • 
Alexander Whiting, 45 ; and Mrs. Alexander 
Whiting, 44 years. 

Much more might be written on the flood in 
Salona and Nittany valley, but I will let this suf- 
fice for here. 



344 A WONDER OF GRACE. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

MY'WORKON THESALONA CHARGE. EXPIR- 
ATION OF THIRTY-THREE YEARS 
IN THE MINISTRY.' 

Settled down in our new home, we went to 
work in the name of the Lord to repair the church 
and parsonage, and notwithstanding the member- 
ship had lost heavily by the flood, all took hold of 
the work with a will. I started out with a sub- 
scription and met with good success. Sister 
Emma B Stork, of Philadelphia, sent us a check 
for two hundred dollars in answer to my appeal in 
the Observer, and we received aid to the amount 
of $255 in all, in answer to it, which was very 
much needed and most thankfully received, and 
by fall we had things in good shape again After 
the reopening of the church, I wrote the following 
report of our work, which appeared in the Luth- 
eran Observer, and I insert it here. 

The Salona Chargk, Pa. 
Rev. F. W. Conrad, D. D. 

Dear Brother : A few lines from the Sa- 
lona charge may be of interest to your many read- 
ers. Salona, so severely flooded last June, is try- 
hard to rally to her former self, and has made some 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 345 

progress in that direction. But some ot the dam- 
ages can never be fully repaired. Where channels 
from ten to thirty or more feet wide, and some 
places ten feet deep, are washed out through gar- 
den lots, and the stone and ground from these lots 
is deposited on other lots to a depth of several feet, 
as is the case with most of the lots in Salona — 
they are beyond repairs ; and houses with no lots, 
but simply the foundation on which they stand, are 
not very valuable. And this is the case with 
many here. 

Among the repairs in Salona are the Luth- 
eran church and parsonage. All the outbuildings 
have been replaced on the parsonage lot, but the 
fence is not yet all put up. The church has been 
thoroughly renovated and repaired, which was abso- 
lutely necessary after the flood. The Sunday- 
school repaired their own room (the basement). 
They were obliged to tear all the floor up and 
shovel the mud out which the flood deposited 
there. The room was painted and papered, and 
furnished with chairs instead of seats. A new or- 
gan was purchased in place of the one destroyed 
by the flood. The entire cost was $201.70. The 
congregation put up a new spire on the church, 
painted the building inside and out, painted the 
main audience room, put a metal ceiling in it, got 
new lights, and papered the windows in imitation 
of stained glass, at a cost of $843,86. The ladies 
furnished the church with a new pulpit, pulpit 



34^ A WONDER OF GRACE 

chairs and carpet, at a cost of $142. The entire 
cost of repairs was $1,187.63. We received dona- 
tions from various sources to the amount of 
$255.76. 

The church was re-opened December 22nd. 
I was assisted by my son, Elmer E. Dietterich, of 
Selin's Grove, who preached for me on Saturday 
evening. The day was unfavorable, consequently 
the congregation was not large. The services 
were interesting, and the amount needed, $345, to 
cover cost of repairs, was secured and five dollars 
more. There still remains, however, an indebted- 
ness of $30 (an old account) on the congregation. 
But we felt that all had done well under the cir- 
cumstances, " thanked God and took courage." 

We had an interesting Christmas entertain- 
ment in the church on Christmas Eve for the Sun- 
day-school. We then began a protracted mee ing, 
and continued it ten nights. On the tenth night 
three were happily converted to God. At this 
juncture I was taken with la grippe, and for sev- 
eral weeks was unable to perform pulpit service. 
Subsequently the meetings were resumed, and 
were attended with good results. 

"St. Paul " congregation is still moving for- 
ward and accomplishing a good work. We had 
an interesting communion here one week ago yes- 
terday. They are now arranging to put up a new 
fence around the cemetery arid church lot. The 
Woman's Home and Foreign Missionary Society 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 347 

of that congregation had a musical convention in 
the church, which began December 30th and 
closed the eve of January 4th with a grand con- 
cert. The receipts were over one hundred dollars. 
A good work is being done on the charge, and 
our prayer is that God may bless and revive his 
work abundantly here and everywhere. 

H. A. DlETTERICH. 

Salona, Pa, February 3rd, 18 go. 

Salona was now a very pleasant and desirable 
charge. It is located in the beautiful Nittany val- 
ley, which is rich and fertile, convenient to rail- 
roads, and but six miles from the city of Lock 
Haven. It consists of two good, substantial, 
brick churches, with spire and bells, located four 
miles apart. Both have basements for Sabbath- 
schools and prayer meetings. There is a good 
membership and an interesting Sunday-school in 
each church, and a very active Woman's Mission- 
ary Society in each congregation. The Salona 
Society, besides its regular work, furnished a new 
pulpit, pulpit chairs and carpet for the church at a 
cost of $142. St. Pauls W. H. & F. M. Society 
that winter raised over one hundred dollars for 
home work, besides their regular mission work, 
and educating a student in India. 

July 24th, 1889, we had a grand wedding in 
the St. Paul Church. The contracting parties be- 
ing Rev. Charles G. Heckert, one of the profes- 



34$ A WONDER OF GRACE. 

sors in Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio, and 
Miss Ada R. Royer, Organist in the church. This 
was a grand affair. The church was well filled, 
and after the ceremony a reception was held at the 
home of the bride's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel 
Royer, near the church. The evening being very 
pleasant, a lawn supper was served and a general 
good time was had. The Salona Cornet Band was 
present, and enlivened the occasion with most ex- 
cellent music. 

September 26th, 1889, I attended the meeting 
of Synod in Loysville, Perry county, accompan- 
ied by my wife and delegate. My wife being a 
delegate to the Convention of the Woman's Mis- 
sionary Society, which met in Newport. So we 
attended both conventions together, and had the 
pleasure of meeting many of our old friends again. 
Saturday evening I preached in the Elliottsburg 
Evangelical Church, where we had lived and I 
was pastor from seventy-three to seventy six. 

During Synod we, in company with several of 
brethren, were nobly entertained by Father Wil- 
liard, at the Orphans' Home. 

My health was good, and everything looked 
bright and promising on the charge. After the re- 
opening of the Salona Church, I continued the 
meeting and up to the tenth night the meeting was 
good and growing in interest, with ten seekers at 
the altar, three of whom were that evening hap- 
pily converted to God, and the meeting promised 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 349 

to be a grand success. I went home from church 
in good spirits, but that night I was taken with a 
severe attack of " la grippe," and was disabled for 
several weeks. After recovering sufficiently, I re- 
sumed the work again, and the meeting finally 
closed with twenty-two conversions and a number 
of accessions, including our youngest son. But I 
never fully recovered from " la grippe," even to 
this day, and I guess I never will. 

I continued my work on the charge as best I 
could, and in August they gave me a vacation, 
which was spent by myself and wife in visiting our 
old home and relatives in Columbia county, hoping 
that I would fully recover my health again. We 
had a pleasant time, but I returned unimproved in 
health. 

September 22nd, my wife being delegate to 
the Convention of the Woman's Missionary Society, 
which met in Lock Haven, I accompanied her and 
we attended it together. I then proceeded to 
Synod, which met in Philipsburg, Sept. 24th, 1890. 
Here on Saturday afternoon I preached the pre- 
paratory sermon before that body, and was highly 
complimented on my sermon by the brethren. I 
was comparatively a stranger in the Synod. There 
were but three brethren present who had ever 
heard me preach, and two of them had only heard 
me preach once. But standing fourth from the 
top, as to age in the ministry, I prepared my ser- 
mon expressly for the preachers, and preached it 



35° A WONDER OF GRACE. 

to them for our good, and a most deep solemnity 
and spiritual feeling pervaded the entire services. 
The sermon may appear in the appendix of this 
book. 

In November I also preached a Thanksgiving 
sermon on Thanksgiving evening, before our Con- 
ference in Mazeppa, Union county. On my way 
home from Synod I visited our son, Rev. E. E. 
Dietterich, pastor on the Mill Creek charge, Hun- 
tingdon county, Pa. 

During the winter I held a short meeting in 
each of my churches, but being in feeble health, I 
did not continue them long and had but two con- 
versions. We had an interesting Christmas enter- 
tainment in the Salona Church each year, and our 
Conference met in this church, May 12th, 1891. 
We had a full attendance and a very interesting 
and profitable session. 

I continued to decline in health, and by July 
and August was so weak that I could scarcely 
walk, and staggered as I passed down the aisle to 
the pulpit. On the advice of my physxian, I, on 
the last Sabbath in August, tendered my resigna- 
tion as pastor, to take effect November 1st, with 
the view of taking a rest to recuperate my health, 
if possible. When the joint council met to take 
action on my resignation, they very kindly offered 
me a vacation, with the hope that I might recover 
sufficiently to serve them again. I thanked them 
for their kind offer, but told them I feared a month 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 35 1 

would not be sufficient, and even if I did get better, 
I would be unable to endure the exposure of win- 
ter which would then be at hand. Some then sug- 
gested that we remain in the parsonage until 
spring, and they would do without preaching, and 
I might be able to serve them by that time I 
again objected, telling them, if I was unable to 
work myself, I did not wish to stand in the way of 
the work, and that their charge would suffer loss 
to be without a pastor so long, and therefore I in- 
sisted on their accepting it as tendered, which was 
finally done. I served the charge two years and 
four months, and was very sorry to leave it, but 
my failing health made it absolutely necessary. 

I was on the charge over two of my birthdays, 
and it appeared a little strange I was from home 
over both of them. The first one, April 21st, 1890, 
I preached a funeral sermon on the White Deer 
charge, our old home, for Mrs. Heilman Dietter- 
ich, it being her request before her death that I 
should preach her funeral sermon. She died very 
happy. She was lying on her bed about ten 
o'clock in the forenoon, when she opened her eyes 
and looking up, her eyes fixed, she said to Sister 
Miller, who was by her side, " Where am I ? " 
Sister Miller said, " Why here in your room in 
your bed." She replied, " But it don't appear so to 
me. I see the blue sky all over me — yes, I see 
Heaven open — yes, I see the angels — yes, I see 
Jesus Christ. O, how sweet the name of Jesus 



35 2 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

sounds in a believer's ears. It soothes his sorrows, 
heals his wounds and drives away his fears. Yes, 
even the fears of death, I am dying now, and I 
have no fears at all," and she took her flight to 
glory. On my next birthday, April 21st, 1891, I 
preached a funeral sermon in Loganton, Sugar 
valley, for an old and highly respected citizen. 
Where will I be on my birthday, 1892 ? Perhaps 
on the " Evergreen Shore." Even so my Father, 
thy will be done. 

September 26th completed my thirty-three 
years in the ministry, at which time I preached 
anniversary sermons in each of my churches, and 
gave the following report of my work on the 
charge. We repaired the Salona Church at a cost 
of $1,200, besides the repairs on the parsonage. 
Number of conversions 24, accessions 44. I bap- 
tized 36 infants, married 13 couples and preached 
29 funeral sermons. Total number of sermons 
preached on the charge up to date, 298, and I 
trust they have not been in vain. Three ser- 
mons more in each church, and my work here 
is done. May God direct you in securing another 
man, who may be more successful than I have 
been, and may he revive his work more abun- 
dantly in your midst, is my most fervent prayer 
in your behalf. Amen. 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 353 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

CONCLUSION OF THE BOOK. 

September 26th, 1891, was the thirty-third 
anniversary of my ministry, twenty-eight of which 
I was in the active work, having lost one year 
after mother's death, when I farmed for father, 
and cared for him until his death. Also four years 
during my sickness in Jersey Shore in 1877, and 
my disability which followed. During these years 
I married one hundred and sixty-eight couples, 
and preached three hundred and forty-six funeral 
sermons. Total number of sermons preached, five 
thousand one hundred and ninety-two. I have no 
memorandum of the number of conversions or ac- 
cessions, except my first year in Leesburg, Cum- 
berland county, one hundred conversions ; first 
year in Lewisberry, York county, sixty-five ; El- 
liottsburg, Perry county, first year sixty-three, 
second year sixty-five, third year forty-five, a total 
of one hundred and seventy-three for the three 
years, the first two of which I had a colleague ; 
Jersey Shore, my last year in the itinerancy, sixty- 
nine, here I also had a colleague. Number of ac- 
cessions on White Deer charge, one hundred and 
twenty-eight.; Rossville one hundred conversions, 
and forty-eight accessions ; Salona twenty-four 



354 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

conversions and forty-four accessions. As to 
further success, Wyoming Mission was made self- 
supporting the Spring I left ; Leesburg circuit be- 
came a two handed circuit at the end of my first 
year, and Lewisberry during my second year. 
As to churches, we rebuilt the Leesburg Church 
at a cost ot three thousand dollars, all of which 
was provided for at the re-opening in my first year, 
and had the money subscribed and the work begun 
on a new church in Mifflin township the second 
year, which was completed the following summer ; 
on Lewisberry we built a new church each year ; 
New Kingston, Cumberland county, rebuilt the 
Kutz Church ; Perry repaired the Millford Church 
quite extensively ; Jersey Shore built two fine new 
churches ; White Deer repaired the Frame Church, 
making almost a new one of it ; recarpeted the 
Stone Church, put a new roof on half of it, and 
paid the parsonage debt ; Rossville repaired the 
Rossville Church quite extensively, and painted 
the parsonage ; Salona repaired the church and 
parsonage. The church alone cost twelve hun- 
dred dollars. Also put a new fence around the St. 
Paul Church and Cemetery lot. I attended the 
Central Penna. Synod three times while on the 
Salona charge, and the reports in the minutes of 
Synod show the aggregate for three years as fol- 
lows : 

For benevolence, $781.91 • for local objects, 
$4,323.77, and a grand total for all objects. for the 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 355 

two years and four months I was there, $5,105.68. 
Thus a good work has been done in church build- 
ing and church repairs. As to spiritual sons in 
the ministry, of these there are a goodly number, 
but how many, I do not know. But chief among 
them in the Lutheran church are Rev. David A. 
Day, Missionary in Africa, Rev. E. D. Weigel, of 
Altoona, president of Allegheny Synod, and our 
son, Rev. J. Eugene, now in the, city of Bridgeton, 
New Jersey. He was converted at my meeting in 
1876. In the Evangelical Association are Rev. 
G. W. Curren, B. F. Anthony (now deceased), and 
J. M. King, for whom I obtained license, though 
he was not converted at my meeting, yet he al- 
ways said I was a father to him, and that he 
would never have preached, if it had not been for 
me. Thus, when I look back over these thirty- 
three years and consider how deeply I was fallen 
when grace first found me and how wonderfully 
that grace has led me, the unfavorable circum- 
stances under which I started out, my want of 
training for the work, and yet the sermons I have 
been enabled to preach, the churches built and re- 
paired, the souls converted, and the spiritual sons 
in the ministry, and two of my own sons in the 
great work, I feel like crying out with St. Paul, 
" By the grace of God I am what I am," and have 
been enabled to do what I have done. He does 
not say, " By my finished education, being brought 
up at the feet of Gamaliel, a distinguished Jewish 



35^ A WONDER OF GRACE. 

Rabbi at Jerusalem, and made master of the Jew- 
ish Law ; not by any extraordinary talents of my 
own, but "By the grace of God I am what I am." 
Thus surely, I am a wonder of grace. "O to 
grace, how great a debtor," hence the title of this 
book, " A wonder of grace." I think the power of 
divine grace, is more fully seen in the good work 
I have been enabled to accomplish, notwithstand- 
ing my lack of preparation — than if I had been in- 
tellectually trained for the work. Yet, with that 
training, I might, no doubt, have accomplished 
much more. The want of education was always 
my greatest discouragement in my work, and I al- 
ways advised all who intend to preach the gospel, 
to educate themselves for the work. 

Thirty-three years in the ministry, and yet in 
the active work! Can it be ? Yet so it is. O 
what changes have taken place in these years. 
Our country has passed through the terrible civil 
war, and slavery has been abolished. In the 
church, great progress has also been made. The 
Evangelical Association has doubled her member- 
ship in these years. Other branches of the chris- 
tian church, including our own beloved Lutheran 
Zion, have made similar progress. No, Christian- 
ity is not on the decline, but moving gloriously for- 
ward, and is destined to fill the whole earth. O 
Lord, hasten the day. 

But how many during these years have fin- 
ished their work, and passed over on the other 



A WONDER OF GRACE. 357 

side. Many of my ministerial brethren, many of 
my spiritual children, most of my old neighbors, 
many of my own loved ones, including my father 
and mother, all my sisters and three brothers, my 
wife's parents, one brother and one sister, and 
three of our own dear little ones. And I spared 
yet ! Yes, but I see I am not what I was then, 
and will not have thirty-three more years to 
preach. I find my locks are silvered over, my 
eyes are not as brilliant as then, and now need the 
aid of glasses. Memory is not so retentive. For 
twenty-five years I did not need the scratch of a 
pen in my Bible while preaching, but now I need 
the whole written sermon before me, not to read 
it, but to serve the memory, as a staff does the 
body, or my glasses aid my eyes. My limbs are 
not so nimble as then. In short, I am getting old. 
But I thank God that he has spared me so long, 
and worked so wonderfully in me, through me and 
by me. I would like to preach for years yet, but 
if he sees fit otherwise, I ask but for grace to sub- 
mit to his will cheerfully. My health is such that I 
am obliged to retire from the active work and settle 
down in Montgomery, Lycoming county, with the 
view of recuperating, if possible. But if my work 
is done, may the gospel I have loved so well, and 
preached so long, using it to comfort others, com- 
fort and sustain me down the steps of time, and 
light up for me the " valley of the shadow of 
death." I know Jesus will not " leave me nor for- 



358 A WONDER OF GRACE. 

sake me," and when I shall close my eyes on 
earthly friends and things, I hope to open them on 
the brighter scenes on the evergreen shore, and on 
the blood washed millions, including many of my 
own loved ones, and many in whose salvation I 
was instrumental. But above all on him "who 
loved me and gave himself for me." There I 
shall behold his glory. u Yes, see his face and 
never, never sin. There from the fountains of his 
grace, drink endless pleasures in." And O, that 
my family may be undivided in the great gathering 
day, and in the heavenly world. Lord Jesus, save 
us all, and bless this book to the good of all who 
may read it. Amen. 

H. A. DlETTERICH, 

Montgomery, Lycoming Co., Pa., 
January, 1892. 



INDEX. 359 



INDEX 

TO 

A WONDER OF GRACE OR THIRTY-THREE 
YEARS IN THE MINISTRY. 

page; 
Introduction, - - - - - 3 

CHAPTER I. 

Birth, Parentage and the Great Mistake of 

My Life. Etc., - - - 5 

CHAPTER II. 
Marriage, Conversion and Entering upon 

the Great Work of the Ministry, - 9 

CHAPTER III. 

Second Trip as a Minister Alone. First 
Sermon at home. End of the Confer- 
ence Year. O the Wonders of Divine 
Grace, ------ 27 

CHAPTER IV. 

Appointed by Conference to Luzerne Cir- 
cuit and Wilkesbarre Mission - - 36 

CHAPTER V. 

Second Year in the Ministry. Appointed 
to Luzerne Circuit Alone. A Few 
Incidents, ------ 55 



3^0 INDEX. 

CHAPTER VI. 
Conference in Glen Rock, York Co. Or- 
dained Deacon. Appointed to Montour 
Circuit. Sorely Tried. Hard Times. 
Lack of Means. Etc., 65 

CHAPTER VII. 
Conference in Millheim, Centre Co., Pa. 
An Exciting Time. My First Sermon 
Before Conference. Appointed to Buf- 
falo Circuit, Union Co., 78 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Conference in York, York Co., Again Ap- 
pointed to Preach Before That Body. 
A Visit to the Army Hospitals. Or- 
dained Elder. Reappointed to Buffalo, 87 
CHAPTER IX. 

Conference in Lewisburg, Union Co. Ap- 
pointed to Wyoming Mission. First 
Move by Rail. Excited State of the 
Country. Etc., ----- 100 
CHAPTER X. 

Conference in Baltimore, Md. Appointed 
to Gettysburg Circuit. A Long and 
Tedious Move. Mother's Death. Im- 
portant Conversions. Etc., - - in 
CHAPTER XI. 

Conference in New Kingston, Cumberland 
Co. Retire from the Active Ministry 



INDEX. 36l 

for one Year. Trip to Columbia Co. 
A Farmer. Death of my Eldest Sister. 

Father's Death, 125 

CHAPTER XII. 

Conference in Lewisburg, Union Co. Ap- 
pointed to Big Spring Circuit, Cumber- 
land Co. One hundred Conversions 
the First Year. Made Two Handed. 
Rebuilt Leesburg Church. Etc., - 146 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Conference in Baltimore, Md. Returned to 
Big Spring. Rowdies in Leesburg 
Church. Shut Out of the School- 
house. Etc., ----- 159 

CHAPTER XIV, 
Conference in Williamsport, Pa. Appointed 
to Conewago Circuit, York Co. Built 
a New Church. Exciting Time at 
Camp Meeting. Etc., - - - 173 

CHAPTER XV. 
Conference in York, York Co. Reap- 
pointed to Conewago. Built a New 
Church. Happy Death of a Young 
Lady. Accidental Death. Etc. - 186 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Conference in Baltimore, Md. Successful 
Missionary Meeting. Appointed to 
Cumberland Circuit, Cumberland Co. 
Rebuilt the Kutz Church, - 196 



3^2 INDEX. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Conference in Lewisburg, Union Co. Ap- 
pointed to Perry Circuit, Perry Co. 
Sad Death of a Young Man. Etc., - 209 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Conference in Carlisle, Cumberland Co. 
Returned to Perry. Rebuilt Millford 
Church. Severe Sickness of my Wife. 
Etc., ------- 216 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Conference in New Berlin, Union Co. Re- 
appointed to Perry. Change of Views 
on Church Polity and Baptism, - - 228 

CHAPTER XX. 

Conference in Baltimore, Md. Appointed 
to Jersey Shore Circuit. Fully Decided 
to Leave the Church, - 236 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Conference in Williamsport, Pa. Secured 
My Dismissal. Reasons for Change of 
Church Relations. Death of My 
Brother Jacob, - 242 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Admitted as a Member of the Susquehanna 
Synod Evangelical Lutheran Church. 
Severe Sickness. Dark and Trying 
Days and Years, - 250 



INDEX. 363 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Move to Columbia Co. Health Improving 
Slowly. First Sermon for One Year. 
Hard Times, ----- 257 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Two Years on the Farm. Health Improv- 
ing. Continue to Preach Occasionally. 
Enter the Active Ministry Again, - 261 

CHAPTER XXV. 

A Preacher Again. Pastor of the Briar 
Creek Charge. Death of our Little 
Daughter. Again Disabled, - - 267 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Move to White Deer. A Grand Reception. 

Silver Wedding. A Pleasant Charge. 272 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Visit to Columbia Co. Birth of Little Mau- 
die. Synod in Selin's Grove. Remark- 
able Funeral. Small Pox. Etc. - 277 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Most Successful Meeting of my Ministry. 
Synod in Williamsport, Pa. A Most 

Pleasant and Prosperous Year. Sore Afflic- 
tion. Sore Bereavement. A Wedding 
Under Solemn Circumstances, - - 282 



364 INDEX. 

CHAPTER XXIX. 
Synod in Bloomsburg, Pa. Harvest Home. 
Accidental Death of a Young Man. 
Repairs on the Frame Church. Call to 
Rossville, York Co., - 293 

CHAPTER XXX. 
Farewell White Deer. Hail Rossville. 
Afflicted with Typhoid Fever. Suc- 
cess. Etc. ----- 302 

CHAPTER XXXI. 
Second Year at Rossville. Death of My 
only Surviving Sister. Failing Health. 
Etc. - - - - - - - 312 

CHAPTER XXXII. 
Move to Salona. A Brief Account of the 

Flood There. Etc., 325 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 
My Work on the Salona Charge. Expira- 
tion of Thirty-three Years in the Min- 
istry, ------ 344 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Conclusion of the Book, - 353 



APPENDIX. 365 



APPENDIX. 



" LUTHER'S WORK AND EXPERIENCE AT THE 
WARTBURG." 

Read Before the York Co. Conference at New Freedom, 
May 14th, 1888. 

Mr, President and Brethren : — 

I could but wish that this subject had fal- 
len into the hands of one whose head is older *id 
wiser in Lutheran Lore than mine. Yet I feel 
that the subject will not suffer loss, when I con- 
sider the most worthy and able Brother who is to 
follow me. For by mutual consent we have 
agreed to change the order of things, so that the 
greater light may follow the smaller one, and I am 
simply to open the subject, " Luther's work and 
experience at the Wartburg." I think we may 
truly apply Luther's observation of Melancthon to 
Luther himself, and say, " He is a miracle in the 
estimation of all who know him. He is the most 
dreaded enemy of Satan and the school-men, for 
he knows all their foolishness, and he knows Christ 
as the Rock." This truly was Luther's character. 
God generally works by human instrumentalities, 
and raises up special men for a special work. 
Thus he raised up Moses to deliver his children 



366 APPENDIX. 

out of Egyptian bondage, and Joshua to conduct 
them into the land of Canaan. Then the Prophets 
to lead and instruct them in the Prophetic age. 

And under the New Dispensation, his son 
Jesus Christ, who chose the disciples to carry for- 
ward his work. And when he wished one for the 
defence of the Gospel, and to carry it to the Gen- 
tiles, he arrests the learned Saul of Tarsus, on his 
way to Damascus, by causing a great light to fall 
upon him and bring him to the acceptance of the 
Gospel he had opposed, and he became a most 
able defender of the same. 

* And now in the 16th century, when he would 
deliver his people from the ignorance, superstition 
and oppression of Popery, and bring them to the 
light and liberty of the Gospel, and to Justification 
by Faith. He raises up the great Luther, and 
qualifies him for the work. The temporal and 
ecclesiastical power of the Pope must be met and 
overthrown. But who can, or will undertake this 
great work ? It must be accomplished by God 
himself, but it must also be accomplished by hu- 
man instrumentality, and under God, Luther is the 
man. 

Gradually he begins the great work of Refor- 
mation. And by his mighty faith in his God, his 
teaching, preaching, and his pen, and the bold step 
of drawing up his 95 Theses, on the 31st day of 
October, 15 17, nailing them up at the Palace 
Chapel at Wittenberg, and offering to publicly dis- 



APPENDIX. 367 

cuss them with every one who should not acknowl- 
edge their truth, a mighty awakening took place, 
and Luther's influence and power was soon felt far 
and wide. 

The rapidity with which his work spread, and 
his influence and power were felt, may be seen on 
the one hand by the thousands of his friends from 
all classes, who gathered around him and em- 
braced his teachings ; and on the other hand, by 
the alarm and rage of his enemies, including the 
Pope himself, who first sited him to appear at 
Rome, to be treated as a heretic, and finally issued 
his edict against him, by which every one was for- 
bidden to read his writings, and Luther himself 
must recant within sixty days, all he had written 
and taught, or himself and his adherents would not 
only be excommunicated from the christian church, 
but also be subjected to the danger of outlawry, 
when any one who should find them might with 
impunity, murder them. Surely Luther, under 
God, was a power. He appealed to the Pope, but 
in vain, for he says, " When I expected a blessing, 
thunder and lightning were fulminated against 
me." 

" His work went on and his influence and 
power continued to spread in spite of his enemies, 
who hunted him down like a wild beast. Threats, 
bribery, base and small means were used to turn 
Luther aside or destroy him, but all in vain. The 
emissaries, commissioned to make overtures to 



368 APPENDIX. 

him, had been obliged to depart from him with 
this confession, " The German brute disregards 
both money and dignities." 

But after he had uttered those noble words 
before the Diet at Worms, " Except I can be con- 
vinced by clear and conclusive reasoning, or by 
proofs taken from the Holy Scriptures, I neither 
can nor will recant, because it is neither safe nor 
advisable to do anything which is against my con- 
science. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise, so 
help me God. Amen." 

It was then they became furious and thirsted 
for his blood, and a decree was issued by Emperor 
Charles V, forbidding " any one to harbor or to 
give him meat or drink, or by word or act, public 
or private, to aid or abet them." u We further 
authorize you to seize, or cause him to be seized 
wherever he may be found, and to bring him be- 
fore us without delay, or hold him in durance, un- 
til you shall be informed how to deal with him, and 
have received the reward of your co-operation in 
this holy work. And as to his adherents, you are 
enjoined to seize upon them, putting them down 
and confiscating their property." 

His writings were to be burned and utterly 
destroyed. But it is in vain to fight against God. 
So the enemies of Luther and the Reformation 
found it. 

Luther's life was now in iminent danger. The 
Emperor would not, however, go back on his 



APPENDIX. 369 

promise to Luther, of a safe conduct back to the 
place from whence he had come. It was now that 
some of Luther's friends, headed by the Elector of 
Saxony, devised a plan by which Luther should be 
hid away from his enemies, and thus save his life. 

Luther had been informed of their designs, 
and it appears, consented to it. On his journey 
home from Worms, Luther everywhere met with 
a friendly reception, and it was evident, that one 
half of Germany was already inclining to his side. 

Alter having visited his friends and relatives 
in his native district, while riding along in company 
with his brother James and a friend, just as they 
were entering the forest, u Suddenly a noise was 
heard, and in a moment five masked men on horse- 
back, armed from head to foot, fell upon them. 
Three of them seized Luther, forced him to alight, 
threw a knight's cloak over his shoulders, set him 
on an extra horse they had with them, and in a 
moment the party and their prisoner disappeared 
in the thick gloom of the forest." 

After riding hither and thither to hide their 
tracks, and night having set in, they escorted him 
to the Castle of Wartburg. 

It was an isolated castle, surrounded on all 
sides but one, by the black forest. 

Here they delivered up their prisoner, giving 
strict orders to the superintendent of the castle, to 
" treat this stranger well." 

Here Luther became a prisoner. And it was 



37° APPENDIX. 

necessary to keep Luther's retreat to the castle a 
profound secret, and here he was known only as 
the Knight George. 

The news spread rapidly, that Luther was car- 
ried off. His enemies rejoiced. Truth had been 
placed under interdict by the German Diet, and its 
defender was no longer on the stage of events, and 
even the fate that had overtaken him was unknown. 
His enemies were confident that the Reformation 
was lost. 

The cry of grief resounded throughout Ger- 
many. Luther has fallen into the hands of his en- 
emies. All appeared lost. But God reigns, and 
the blow which seemed to bring to nothing the 
cause of the Gospel, will but serve to rescue its 
undaunted servant, and diffuse far and wide the 
radiance of faith." 

But who can imagine, much less describe the 
experience ol Luther himself at Wartburg ? What 
thoughts would throng his mind ! What hopes 
and fears would arise within ! " Strange captiv- 
ity," he exclaimed, u A prisoner by consent, and 
yet against my will." " Pray for me," he wrote to 
a friend, "I want nothing but your prayers. Don't 
disturb me by what is said or thought of me in the 
world. At last I am quiet." The quiet and rest 
he there experienced were certainly very much 
needed after the exciting and trying scenes at the 
Diet of Worms. But history tells us this tranquil- 
ity did not last long. " But seated on the walls of 



APPENDIX. 371 

the Wartburg, he passed whole days lost in medi- 
tation." " At times the church rose before his vis- 
ion and spread out all her wretchedness before 
him." At other times, lifting his eyes to heaven, 
he would say, " Canst thou have made all men in 
vain." Then letting go his confidence, he would 
add dejectedly, " Alas, there is no one in this clos- 
ing day of wrath, to stand as a wall before the 
Lord and save his people." Then the thought 
would present itself to his mind, that he would be 
charged with deserting the field of battle, and this 
he could not endure. " Rather," exclaimed he, 
" would I be stretched on burning coals, than stag- 
nate here half dead." Then regretting, that yield- 
ing to his friends' entreaties, he had withdrawn 
himself from the world, he exclaimed, "Ah, 
nothing on earth do I more desire, than to face my 
cruel enemies " ' 

But he also experienced pleasant and more 
cheerful thoughts. His state of mind was not all 
storm and tempest, but his agitated spirit realized 
at times, a large degree of calmness and comfort 
in his God. He felt confident of the Divine pro- 
tection and the thoughts of Melancthon consoled 
him in his grief. He once wrote to him, u If I per- 
ish the gospel will lose nothing, you will succeed 
me, as Elisha succeeded Elijah, with a double por- 
tion of my spirit." 

Then, too, he had confidence in the success of 
the Reformation. He said, " Only let our enemies 



37 2 APPENDIX. 

take up our affair and try to stifle it in their arms, 
and it will grow by their pressure and come forth 
more formidable than ever." Thus did he com- 
fort and console himself at the Wartburg. 

His experience at the Wartburg was perhaps 
to serve him a similar purpose to the thorn in the 
flesh of the great Apostle of the Gentiles. 
" There," says one, " his soul gathered up itself to 
God. There it was again tempered by adversity. 
His suffering and his humiliation obliged him to 
walk, at least for a time, with the humble, and the 
principles of the christian life, thence forward, de- 
veloped themselves in his soul with fresh energy 
and freedom, that he might be the better qualified 
for his great work. 

Hence, see with what power he came forth 
from his prison, and like magic, settled the confu- 
sion which called for his presence at Wittenberg. 
It was as with a superhuman power, that he re- 
stored peace and harmony again. 

But his work. Luther was not idle in his 
" Patmos," as he called it, but here he used his 
pen with mighty power. "With his pen," says 
one, " Luther put forth such writings as were 
adapted to build up the church, and controvesial 
tracts, which disturbed his opponents in their fan- 
cied security." For nearly a whole year, he by 
turns instructed, exhorted, rebuked and thundered 
from his mountain height, and his astonished adver- 
saries might well inquire, whether, indeed, there 



APPENDIX. 373 

was not something supernatural in so prodigious 
an activity. 

In addition to his other writings at the Wart- 
burg, he began the translation of the New Testa- 
ment into the German language. This was his 
great work at the Wartburg " I intend to trans- 
late the New Testament into our mother tongue, 
as our people desire." " O would that this book 
alone were in all languages, before the eyes, in the 
ears, and in the hearts of all," was his language. 

Luther was ordained to present his nation 
with the written word, which had been so long 
hidden from them. As John was banished to the 
isle of Patmos, that he might write the book of 
Revelations, by which the canon of the Scriptures 
should be completed, so Luther was shut up in the 
Wartburg, that he should there translate the Di- 
vine word. The great work which would have 
been difficult lor him to undertake amid the varied 
occupations at Wittenberg, was to set the new 
edefice, which he had erected on the Solid Rock, 
and call christians back again to the pure and una- 
dulterated fountain of Redemption and Salvation. 
The wants of the church loudly called for this, and 
Luther's deep experience had eminently fitted him 
for this work. Hence he resolved to meet this 
call. He was a captive, enclosed within lofty 
walls, but what of that, they would but shut out 
the noise and confusion which might otherwise 
distract his thoughts, and here he could devote his 



374 APPENDIX. 

hours to render the word of God into the language 
of his nation. Soon shall we see that word de- 
scending with him from the Wartburg, circulating 
among the families of Germany, and enriching 
them with spiritual treasures, that had hitherto 
been shut up within the hearts of but a few pious 
persons. 

This was Luther's work at the Wartburg. 
And how much do we, as a people, owe to Luther 
and the Reformation, and, indeed, to his work in 
the Wartburg, by which the Divine Word was 
again placed into the hands of the people. 

The doctrines and principles taught by Luther, 
and instilled into the hearts of the people, were 
brought to our country and contributed largely to 
the formation of our own free and happy Republic. 
To Luther's principles and teachings, under the 
blessing of God, we owe our civil and religious 
liberty, an open Bible, freedom of thought, free 
schools, freedom of conscience, and a free press. 

One has said, " No man is what he would 
have been if Martin Luther had not been born, and 
if no man, then no country." And Luther's exper- 
ience and work at the Wartburg contributed 
largely to this noble end. 

Let us then cherish and carefully guard these 
blessings and privileges, and hand them down to 
succeeding generations, unimpaired. Amen. 



APPENDIX. 375 



" MY FATHER'S BUSINESS." 

Read Before the York Co. Conference at Wrightsville, 
November 12th, 1888. 

These are the words of the Child Jesus, now 
but twelve years old. From verse 41 to 52, we 
have the only history of our blessed Saviour's 
youth, from his infancy to the time of his showing 
to Israel, when about thirty years of age. The 
circumstances which gave rise to these words are 
familiar to you all. He had gone up with his 
parents to attend the Feast of the Passover at 
Jerusalem. "When they had fulfilled the days of 
the Feast, as they returned, the Child Jesus tarried 
behind in Jerusalem, and Joseph and his mother 
knew not of it," but supposed him to be in the 
company, until they had gone a day's journey. 
This might easily occur. In attending these feasts, 
they traveled in large companies for their greater 
security against the attacks of robbers. They car- 
ried necessaries along with them, including tents 
for their lodging at night. And Dr. Clark says, 
" Some have supposed the men and women 
marched in seperate companies on these occasions, 
and that children kept company sometimes with 
the men and sometimes with the women. This 



376 APPENDIX. 

might lead to what otherwise seems to have been 
inexcusable carelessness in Joseph and Mary. 
Joseph, not seeing Jesus in the men's company, 
might suppose he was with his mother in the 
women's company. And Mary not seeing him 
with her might imagine he was with Joseph. But 
in the evening, when they were about to encamp, 
everyone would join the family to which they be- 
longed. 

As Jesus did not appear when it was growing 
late, his parents would find out their mistake, and 
would naturally seek him first where they sup- 
posed he would most probably be, namely, among 
his relatives and acquaintances. Not finding him 
there, they returned to Jerusalem, " and after three 
days they found him in the Temple, sitting in the 
midst of the Doctors, both hearing them and ask- 
ing them questions. And all that heard him were 
astonished at his understanding and answers." 
Ver. 46, 47. 

And when his parents saw him they were 
amazed, and his mother said unto him, " Son, why 
hast thou thus dealt with us. Behold, thy father 
and I have sought thee sorrowing." His answer 
was, " How is it that ye sought me. Wist ye not 
that I must be about my Father's business." Jos- 
eph knew he had only the name of a father, and 
therefore, said nothing. And Jesus here recog- 
nizes only his Divine, Heavenly Father. Some 
would give us a different translation of these words, 



APPENDIX. 377 

and make them read, " Knew ye not that I must 
be in my Father's house." And so the revised 
New Testament has it. " It is to be remembered," 
says Dr. Doddridge, " that this is the first visit 
Christ had ever made to the temple since he was a 
child in his mother's arms, and it is no wonder 
that the delight he found there inclined him to pro-, 
long his stay." u Methinks," says another, " we 
are here let into the holy privacies of Nazareth for 
sure, what he says they should have known, he 
must have given them reason to know. His 
mother tells him of the sorrow with which his 
father and she had sought him. He speaks of no 
father, but one. As if he had said, although I owe 
respect to you, as my natural parents, yet my duty 
to my Heavenly Father must be preferred. I am 
about his work, promoting his glory, and propogat- 
ing his truth." My Father has not been seeking 
me, I have been with him all this time. " The 
king hath brought me into his chambers, we will 
be glad and rejoice in thee." Sol. Song i. 4. 

But our translation has it, " My Father's bus- 
iness." So it is given to me on the program, and 
so I prefer to have it. 

"I must be about my Father's business, and 
thereiore could not go home as soon as you might." 

By business, I understand work, the work 
his Father had given him to do. His Father had 
great business to be performed, or work to be 
done in this part of his dominion. A violated law 



$?8 APPENDIX. 

to be fulfilled, an example of consumate perfection 
to be exhibited, a revelation of pure, unadulterated 
truth to be made, an atoning sacrifice to be offered, 
a hell to be conquered and a way opened into the 
kingdom of Heaven for all true believers. And 
this business or work- could only be effected by 
Christ. " Milton supposed that when the scheme 
of human redemption was proposed among the 
superior spirits, ' all the heavenly choir stood mute,' 
and silence was in Heaven on man's behalf— pa- 
trons or intersessors, none appeared, much less 
that durst upon his own head draw the deadly for- 
feiture." But Christ undertook our ransome and 
came into the world to work the works of God, 
and to do his Father's business. Hence he says, 
"My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, 
and to finish his work." John vi. 34. Again, " I 
must work the works of him that sent me, while it 
is day." John ix. 4. And of this same work he 
says, in praying to his Father shortly before his 
departure out of the world, " I have glorified thee 
on the earth, I have finished the work which thou 
gavest me to do." John xvii. 4. " When his 
Father sent him into the world he gave him work 
to do. He did not come into the world to take 
state, but to do business. Whom God sends he 
employes, for he sends none to be idle." And the 
business Christ had to do was the business of him 
that sent him, appointed by him, and to be done 
for him. Hence it was his Father's business. " He 



APPENDIX. 379 

was a worker together with God." He here rec- 
ognizes his responsibility to God, his Father, and 
his earnest desire to meet it fully and exactly in all 
its supreme demands. 

In accomplishing his Father's business, the 
great work of redemption, Christ had to sustain 
and execute various offices. 

First. He was a prophet or teacher, to make 
known the mind and will of his Father to the hu- 
man race. This was partially done by Moses and 
the prophets. But the Mosaic dispensation was 
comparatively dark and obscure. It was only the 
general outline and shadow ot the more glorious 
revelation of " grace and truth by Jesus Christ." 
The economy of salvation was never plainly un- 
folded. The perfections of the Diety were never 
clearly exhibited. Life and immortality were 
never fully brought to light till " He who was in 
the bosom of the Father declared them." 

As a prophet or teacher he had been promised 
by the Father through the prophets. And as such 
he was expected and desired by the Jews. Moses 
had said, "The Lord, thy God, will raise up unto 
thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy breth- 
ren, like unto me, unto him ye shall hearken." 
Deut. xviii. 15. Isaiah had said, "And there shall 
come forth a rod out of the stem of Jessie, and a 
branch shall grow out of his roots, and the spirit of 
the Lord shall rest upon him. The spirit of wis- 
dom and understanding, the spirit of council and 



380 APPENDIX. 

might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the 
Lord." Isaiah xi. 1-2. 

Again he says, " The spirit of the Lord is 
upon me, because the Lord hath annointed me to 
preach good tidings unto the meek* He hath sent 
me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim lib- 
erty to the captive and the opening of the prison to 
them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable 
year of the Lord." Isaiah lxi. 1-2. 

When Jesus entered the synagogue at Nazar- 
eth, and there was delivered unto him the book of 
the Prophet Esaias, he read this passage, closed 
the book, sat down and said, " This day is this 
scripture fulfilled in your eyes." Luke iv. 16-21. 

As a great prophet or teacher, the Jews ex- 
pected him. Hence, when the priests and Levites 
came down from Jerusalem to ask John the Bap- 
tist whether he was the Christ, they said, u Art 
thou that Prophet." John i. 21. "And when Je- 
sus had fed the five thousand with five loaves and 
two fishes the men said, 4 This is of a truth that 
prophet.'" John vi. 14. 

The woman of Samaria said, " I know that 
Messiah's cometh, which is called Christ. When he 
is come, he will tell us all things." Jesus saith 
unto her, " I that speak unto thee am he." John 
iv. 25-26. 

Thus he was " about his Father's business," 
while asking and answering questions in the midst 
of the doctors in the temple, and all were aston- 



APPENDIX. 381 

ished at his understanding and answers. He 
taught the most sublime and most important doc- 
trines, explained the Law and the Prophets more 
clearly, revealed the perfections of God, the plan 
of salvation, the immortality of the soul, the resur- 
rection of the body and the future destiny of the 
righteous and the wicked. He declared God's 
nature and perfections, authority and government, 
opened the eternal councils of his will for the sal- 
vation of lost sinners, displayed the riches of his 
free and sovereign grace and proclaimed the won- 
ders of his love. He declared the design of his 
incarnation, life, obedience, suffering and death, 
and cleared up the spiritual nature of his kingdom 
and insisted on repentance, faith, regeneration and 
holiness. He taught his disciples the great doc- 
trines of mortification to this world, and heavenly 
mindedness, of self-denial, humility and christian 
contentment. And he delivered various prophe- 
cies of things to come, concerning his own death, 
resurrection, ascention, intercession and the out- 
poring of the Holy Spirit. Also as to the publica- 
tion and success of his gospel among the Gentiles, 
the infidelity and rejection of the Jews, and the de- 
struction of Jerusalem, of his coming to raise the 
dead and to judge the world. To all this he added 
the doctrine of the Sacraments, Baptism and the 
Lord's Supper, as the ordinance of his kingdom, 
the seals of God's covenant, and the visible signs 
of descipleship to him. 



3§2 APPENDIX. 

In short, we learn from him what duties we 
owe to God, to our brethren, to our enemies and 
to all mankind. 

The salvation of sinners is the will of God, 
and the instruction of them in order thereto, is his 
work, i Tim. ii. 4. And the Son enters upon this 
business or work with such earnestness, zeal and 
authority, thit the officers sent to apprehend him, 
returned, saying, "Never man spake like this 
man," John vii. 46 ; and Nicodemus acknowledged, 
saying, " We know that thou art a teacher come 
from God." Thus, when the Child Jesus was as- 
tonishing all who heard him in the temple, he was 
about his "Father's business," and his soul longed 
already to enter more fully upon the great business 
or work given him to do by his Father. 

But this was not all. In accomplishing his 
Father's business he must also sustain 

Second. The office, and perform the duties of 
a priest, and make atonement for sin. We are 
rebels against God, have violated his laws, rejected 
his council, trampled on his authority, provoked 
his indignation, incurred his displeasure and exposed 
ourselves to endless misery. But his Father " has 
no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather 
that all might be saved." Yet without the shed- 
ding of blood there is no remission of sin, no rec- 
onciliation, and it is utterly impossible for the 
blood of bulls and goats to take away sin. Sin 
must be atoned for in the same nature in which it 



APPENDIX. 383 

was committed. Hence Christ had a body pre- 
pared, became bone of our bone and flesh of our 
flesh, and by shedding his precious blood, he made 
atonement for us. By one oblation of himself, 
once offered, he made a full, perfect and sufficient 
sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the sins of 
all mankind. We are reconciled to God by the 
blood of the cross, and we are sanctified by the 
offering of his body, for he gave himself for us, that 
he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify 
unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good 
works. Hence he says, " God so loved the world 
that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoso- 
ever believeth in him, should not perish, but have 
everlasting life." John iii. 16. Paul in speaking 
of him to the Hebrews, says, u Wherefore when 
he cometh into the world he saith, sacrifice and 
offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou 
prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for 
sin thou hast no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I 
come (in the volume of the book it is written of 
me) to do thy will, O God." Heb. x. 5-7. 

To b ■ about his Father's business and to 'do 
his will, Christ came into the world. And this 
was his delight. As a prophet, he seized every 
opportunity to fulfill his mission, preaching in 
houses, in synagogues, in the temple, in a ship and 
on a mountain. Sometimes he addressed vast mul- 
titudes, and. sometimes a single individual. 

As a priest, he was anxious to enter upon his 



3§4 APPENDIX. 

work. He said, " I have a baptism to be baptized 
with, and how am I straightened till it be accom- 
plished." Luke xii. 50. Nothing could divert his 
attention, or turn him aside from the path of duty. 
He must finish his work or mercy cannot be exer- 
cised, man cannot be saved, and Satan's kingdom 
cannot be destroyed, neither the malice of his ene- 
mies nor the kindness of his friends could induce 
him to relinquish his undertaking. He must be 
about " his Father's business." And the spirit ex- 
pressed in these words characterized his whole 
life, until he could exclaim on the cross in the face 
of his cruel murderers, and amid the triumphs of 
fallen spirits, " It is finished," bow his head and 
give up the ghost. 

His great business as a prophet and teacher 
was preparatory to, and must precede the great 
sacrifice he must offer as a priest, to atone for our 
sins. And on this part of his business, he appeared 
now ready to enter. But he muse wait for his 
time, and so went down " to Nazareth with his 
parents and was subject to the. 11." But has not 
"my Father" given to every one a business to 
perform and work to do ? And in the performing 
of which we are not mere machines, but moral 
agents. 

The business, however, assigned us is of a 
very different nature from that which was com- 
mitted to our blessed Lord. But let us not for a 
moment imagine that Christ did our work as well 



APPENDIX. 385 

as his own. He did the work of a Savior, but not 
the work of a sinner. He has assigned to all 

First. The work of repentance. Christ is 
exalted to give repentance, but he will not, he can- 
not repent for us. This we must do for ourselves. 
It cannot be done by proxy. 

Second. The work of faith, works of piety, 
of mercy and of self-denial are also assigned to all. 
This is the Father's business which he has assigned 
to all, and like the Child Jesus, we should be about 
" My Father's business." 

But my brethren in the ministry, has not our 
Father assigned unto us special business, in that 
he has called us to the sacred office of the minis- 
try ? We are to be embassadors for Jesus. O let 
us imitate his example of earnestness, zeal, plain- 
ness of speech and perseverance. Let us so im- 
prove our time and employ our talents in our Fath- 
er's business, that when we come to the close of 
life, we may be enabled to say, " I have fought the 
good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept 
the faith." Then shall we enter into the joy of 
our Lord, and join with the blood-washed millions 
in singing that one song, " To him that loved us 
and washed us from our sins in his blood, and hath 
made us kings and priests unto God and his 
Father, be glory and dominion forever. Amen. 



386 APPENDIX. 



FUNERAL SERMON FOR GENERAL U. S. GRANT 

Preached August 8th, 1885, for the Col. David L. Montgom- 
ery Post, No. 264, G. A. R., in the Presbyterian 
churchat Montgomery Station, Ly- 
coming Co., Pa. 

Text. — Know ye not, that there is a prince, and a great man 
fallen this day in Israel. 2 Samuel iii. 38. 

On entering your usually enterprising Bor- 
ough today, and seeing the shops, mills and stores 
all closed, the buildings and streets draped in 
mourning, the flag at half-mast, the citizens in 
Sunday dress, the soldiers and sons of veterans in 
uniform, and in line, with the expression of sadness 
on every countenance, a stranger would be led to 
inquire, "What meaneth all this sadness and dis- 
play ?" An appropriate answer to this inquiry is 
found in the text, "Know ye not that there is a 
Prince and a great man fallen this day ?" 

The feelings of the American people to-day 
are similar to the feelings of David and his people 
at the time to which the text refers. And the cir- 
cumstances are also somewhat alike. Abner, a 
great general, and a man high in the state, had fal- 
len. Fallen by the hand of an assassin, similar to 
our late lamented Garfield, of whom we are re- 
minded at this time. 



APPENDIX. 387 

But the hero whose death we mourn to-day, 
died peacefully on his bed, surrounded by his fam- 
ily and friends. 

On the death of this great man, Abner, King 
David issued a proclamation, "That all the people? 
from the highest to the lowest, should rend their 
clothes, put on sack-cloth, and mourn before Ab- 
ner." Verse 31. This rending of their clothes and 
putting on sack-cloth were the outward expres- 
sions of the greatest sorrow. And King David 
himself followed the bier as one of the chief mourn- 
ers. And they buried Abner at Hebron, and the 
King lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of 
Abner. And all the people wept. And the King 
lamented over Abner, and all the people wept 
again over him. And the King said unto his ser- 
vants, "Know ye not that a Prince and a great man 
is fallen this day in Israel ?" 

How similar our meeting at this time. To- 
day a Prince and a great man is laid into the silent 
tomb by a mourning people. 

At his death, our Chief Magistrate issued a 
proclamation similar to that of David. It is so ex- 
pressive and so touching that I can not refrain 
from reading it here. 



"The President of the United States has just 
received the sad tidings of the death of that illus- 
trious citizen and Ex-President of the United 



388 APPENDIX. 

States, General Ulyssis S. Grant, at Mount McGre- 
gor, New York, to which place he had lately been 
removed, in the endeavor to prolong his life. In 
making this announcement to the people of the 
United States, the President is impressed with the 
magnitude of the public loss of a great military 
leader, who was in the hour of victory magnani- 
mous, amid disaster serene and self-sustained ; 
who in every station, whether as a soldier or as a 
chief magistrate, twice called to power by his 
countrymen, trod unswervingly the pathway of 
duty, undeterred by doubts, single-minded and 
straight-forward. The entire country has witnessed 
the deep emotion his prolonged and patient strug- 
gle with painful disease, and has watched by his 
couch of suffering with tearful sympathy. 

The destined end has come at last, and his 
spirit has returned to the Creator, who sent it 
forth. The great heart of the nation, that followed 
him living with love and pride, bows now in sor- 
row above him dead, tenderly mindful of his vir- 
tues, his great patriotic services, and of the loss oc- 
casioned by his death. 

In testimony of respect to the memory of Gen- 
eral Grant it is ordered that the Executive Man- 
sion, and the several Departments at Washington 
be draped in mourning, for the period of thirty 
days, and that all. public business shall on the day 
of the funeral be suspended, and the Secretaries 
of War and of the Navy will cause orders to be is- 



APPENDIX. 389 

sued for appropriate military and naval honor to be 
rendered on that occasion. 

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my 
hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be 
affixed." 

We have met to observe this proclamatiou on 
this sad occasion. All the land is to-day in mourn- 
ing ; and the sadness extends to almost all the na- 
tions of the earth, because "A Prince and a great 
man is fallen." 

But will the text apply to our fallen General 
and statesman ? Was he a a Prince and a great 
man ?" He certainly was both. I had almost said, 
all the world would bear me out in this asser- 
tion. 

I. What is a prince ? Webster says a prince 
is "The one of highest rank. A person possessing 
highest place and authority." This was the posi- 
tion occupied by General Grant : he held the high- 
est rank in the Army of our Republic, being a 
Lieutenant-General, a position only held by Wash- 
ington and Scott before him. 

And for eight years he was President of the 
United States, the highest in office and authority in 
the gift of the people. Like Washington, when he 
had conquered the enemy, he was chosen to rule 
the country he had saved. Hence he who has fallen 
to-day was a prince. 

II. But was he a great man ? I answer unhesi- 
tatingly, yes. Though he may not have been en- 



39° APPENDIX. 

dowed with any extraordinary faculties or brilliant 
powers, yet he was possessed of those sterner, bet- 
ter qualities which make the man, and which made 
him great in whatever position he was placed. 

III. Grant was not a perfect man. There 
never was but one perfect man in the world, and he 
was not allowed to live, but was crucified, when 
but about 33 years of age. 

But while Grant had his failings, and no doubt 
made his mistakes as civil ruler, yet he was great 
on the field ol battle, and great in the moment of 
victory. And being requested by the -'Grand 
Army" to preach to-day, I shall not speak of Grant 
so much as a politician, or statesman, but as a no- 
ble general, raised up by God to lead the Armies 
of the Republic to lasting victory, and the Nation 
to abiding peace. 

IV. Let us now look at his remarkable rise. 
He had graduated at West Point, and distinguished 
himself as Lieutenant Grant in the Mexican War. 
It is said, he participated in every battle of that war 
but one, the Battle of Beuna Vista, and was twice 
breveted for gallantry. In 1848 he married, and in 
1854 he resigned his commission as captain, and 
retired to private life. The outbreak of the late 
war found him comparatively a poor friendless and 
obscure citizen, engaged in the leather business for 
the maintenance of himself and family ; he was 
then 39 years of age, had a family of a wife and 
four children, and "lived in a little house on one of 



APPENDIX. 39I 

Galena's many hills, in the State of Illinois." 

Fort Sumpter fell on April 13, 1861. Two 
days later, President Lincoln issued his first call 
for troops, and in four days after, Captain Grant 
had a company of volunteers organized. On the 
23d he took them to Springfield, and offered his 
service to his country in whatever capacity he could 
be useful. He did not seek or ask for position, 
only for service. 

But his letter for some reason was not an- 
swered. After some weeks spent in Springfield, 
in organizing the Illinois troops, for which his ed- 
ucation at West Point, and his experience in the 
Mexican war so well fitted him, he was appointed 
to the command of the 21st Regiment, Illinois vol- 
unteers 

Thus we see he commenced his military ca- 
reer in the late war at the bottom of the ladder. 
But how rapidly he ascended it, step by step, un- 
til he reached the topmost round in the ladder of 
military fame. And in three years, namely, the 
spring of 1864, he assumed the command of all the 
United States troops, having gained the confidence 
of the government, and of the Armies. Was there 
nothing grand and noble in this ? And who does 
not see in all this the hand of a Superintending 
Providence, calling from obscurity the man so em- 
inently fitted for the great work of saving a na- 
tion ? 

V. But it has been said he was not a brilliant 



392 APPENDIX. 

general. I myself had thought he lacked that 
brilliancy, that daring, dashing boldness of a 
Hooker, a Sheridan, a Sherman, or a Stonewall 
Jackson. But when I read the account of Grant's 
march to Vicksburg, I find that in a little over two 
weeks, he marched more than 200 miles, defeated 
two armies in five battles, captured 27 heavy can- 
non and 61 pieces of field artillery, took over six 
thousand prisoners, and killed and wounded as 
many more. "He had," says Bradan, "forced the 
evacuation of Grand Gulf, seized the capital of the 
state, destroyed the railroad at Jackson for thirty 
miles, and invaded the principal strongholds of the 
Confederates on the Mississippi. I fail," says he, 
"to find a more brilliant record on the pages of 
History than this. It has been compared with the 
campaign of Napoleon at Ulm, and the first fifteen 
days of Napoleon in Italy, in 1796." Surely, "a 
great man has fallen to-day." 

VI. But we remark again, that he possessed 
especially those qualifications which fitted him for 
the command of large armies. He was calm 
and self-possessed, never excited, but courageous, 
determined, and a great planner. General Sher- 
man is reported to have said to a recent inter- 
viewer : "While I could map out a dozen plans for 
a campaign, every one of which Sheridan would 
swear he could fight out to victory, neither he 
nor I could tell which was the best one. But 
Grant, who simply sat and listened, and smoked, 



APPENDIX. 393 

while we had been talking over the maps, would, 
at the end of our talking, tell which was the best 
plan, and in a dozen or two words, the reason of 
his decision, and then it would be all so- clear to us 
that he was right, that Sheridan and I. would look 
at each o}her, and wonder why we had not seen 
the advantage of it ourselves." 

His plans once fixed, he would go to work, 
coolly and deliberately, to carry them out, and noth- 
ing could turn him from his purpose. How char- 
acteristic of the man was that historic dispatch, "I 
purpose to fight it out on this line, if it takes all 
summer." His firmness and perseverance, his de- 
termination not to be turned aside from an end, 
once determined on, and his bending all his ener- 
ergies to accomplish his purpose — these are the el- 
ements which made him great, and gave him suc- 
cess, when other men, perhaps with more brilliant 
parts and greater pretensions, failed. 

He did fight it out on that line successfully, 
until he received the surrender of General Lee and 
his army at the Appomattox Court House, thus 
ending the war that had lasted four years, cost 
thousands of lives, and millions of dollars. 

He stands forth as the hero of the day, en- 
deared to the hearts of the American people, as 
no other man, perhaps, since Washington, as a 
bold and successful general and military leader. 

VII. But let us now view him in victory. 
Here we see his sterner qualities are balanced by 



394 APPENDIX. 

gentleness, kindness, forgiveness and charity. 

At Fort Donaldson,when a proposition to sur- 
render was made by General Buckner, Grant's 
stern reply was — "Nothing but an unconditional 
and immediate surrender can be accepted. I pur- 
pose to move immediately upon your works." It 
was this gave him the name, "Unconditional Sur- 
render Grant." But that was in the beginning of 
the war. Firmness and determination were then 
necessary. But now the end had come, and Grant 
knew it, and would not triumph over a fallen foe. 
His conditions oi surrender were honorable to 
himself and the Nation, and yet, such as to gain 
for him and his country, the gratitude and good- 
will of the ioe. His magnanimous spirit would 
not permit him to ask Lee or his officers for their 
swords, or his" men for their horses. "Go in 
peace," was the substance of his treatment of. those 
who surrendered to him at Appomattox. 

And this has done much to remove ill-feel- 
ing, and this is why the South today vies with 
the North in doing honor to the "great man fallen 
to-day." 

VIII. It has often been said, "Grant had the 
soldiers, the money and the power," and that any 
man with ordinary capabilities could have suc- 
ceeded with the same opportunities. This remark 
was at one time made to the General himself. The 
General slowly rolled his cigar from one side of 
his mouth to the other, and quietly replied, "I have 



APPENDIX. 395 

heard these criticisms before. There is only one 
answer I can make. General Lee surrendered to 
me. He did not surrender to any other Union 
General, though I believe there were several efforts 
made in that direction before I assumed command 
of the Army." I have heard similar remarks made 
myself, and I can not say, bat, perhaps another 
might have done as well with far less loss of life. 
But they did not. Perhaps another might have 
conquered Lee and saved the Nation, if Grant had 
been killed, or had failed. But he was not killed, 
and he did not fail, and that is enough to satisfy 
me. And he stands as the hero of the day, hon- 
ored and renowned by North and South, yea, by 
all civilized nations of the earth.- And while our 
land is draped in mourning, and the people are 
met in almost every city, village and hamlet in the 
land, holding suitable memorial services in honor 
of the "great man fallen," across the waters in 
Westminster Abby, London, notable memorial 
services are being held under the dome of West- 
minster, and Canon Farrer is to deliver the ad- 
dress. It is to be attended by the Prince ot Wales, 
and many persons high in rank in England. 
Surely "a great man is fallen to-day." 

IX. But again, he is not only fallen as a 
great statesman and general, but also, I am glad 
to say, a Christian. In peace with God, as well 
as man. He did not neglect this important 

work. 



396 APPENDIX. 

Dr. Newman, his pastor, said some time ago 
of Grant, "He is a true Christian, and has a Chris- 
tian's profound belief in prayer. He has religious 
services, consisting of reading the Scriptures, and 
prayer, morning and evening, and he takes de- 
light in them. I call the General's a most de- 
lightful christian character." He was visited by 
one quite recently, and assured that "all the good 
people were praying for his recovery." Being un- 
able to speak, even in a whisper, he wrote, "I 
am a great sufferer all the time, but the fact 
that all the good people are praying ior my re- 
covery is a compensation for much of it. All I 
can do is to pray, that the prayers of all these good 
people may be so far answered, as to have us all 
meet in another and better world." He died 
calmly, peacefully, trusting in his God, and has en- 
tered into rest. 

X. "A great man has fallen." Never since 
the fall of Lincoln, has the Nation mourned as to- 
day. Never since, then has her grief been so great 
lor not since then has death laid low one so near 
the hearts of the people. 

Outside of his own family circle, there are 
none who mourn more than his comrades in arms. 
The battle-scarred veterans who followed him on 
many a long and tedious march, camped with him 
on the field, in the heat, the cold, and the storm ; 
shared with him in many a bloody battle, and 
sprang to the deadly charge at his command, 
mourn for him as none else can. 



APPENDIX 397 

Veterans, you mourn to-day the death of your 
head and leader. A man whose name will stand 
on the pages of history, with those of Washington 
and Lincoln. One after another your comrades 
in arms are falling. O, be firm ; stand together! 
But above all, I entreat of you, be like your great 
leader, Christian Soldiers. O, be true Christians, 
that you may have a grand reunion with him on the 
evergreen shores. 

XI. Finally : — Let us, while we mingle our 
tears with the tears of the Nation, forget the de- 
fects of this great man, and copy in our lives his 
good qualities. 

We are glad he lived to see the great wish of 
his heart accomplished. When visited recently by 
General Buckner, who surrendered to him at Fort 
Donaldson, unable to speak, he wrote, "I have wit- 
nessed, since my sickness, just what I have wished 
to see ever since the war — harmony and good 
feeling between the sections. I have always con- 
tended, that if there had been nobody left, but the 
soldiers, we should have had peace in a year." 
It is the politician, and not the soldier, who tries to 
stir up and keep alive the ill-feeling between North 
and South. 

But will not the services of to-day tend to 
further the good feelings between the sections 
which Grant so earnestly longed for ?" When men 
like Generals Sheridan and Sherman, of the North, 
join hands with Generals Johnson and Buckner, of 



398 APPENDIX. 

the South, over the coffined remains of Grant, and 
assist in bearing him to his last resting place,while 
veterans of both armies march in the procession 
to the same solemn strains, who may find fault. 

All — all unite in doing honor to the man who 
subduced the foe, ruled the people of the States, 
and sailed around the world. A man of few words? 
but full of noble deeds. Men may erect monu- 
ments to his memory, but he himself, has erected 
the most lasting one, in the hearts and memories 
of a grateful people 

But in our sadness, and eulogies of the man, 
let us not be unmindful of the God who raised him 
up for us, in our time of need, and blessed his ef- 
forts with success. Let us thank Him, love, trust 
and obey Him, that He may continue to bless us 
and our nation. 

Let me now close with the last verse of a 
poem, written by N. P. Willis, on the death of 
President Harrison, which is even more applicable 
to the great soldier,whom this Nation now mourns, 
than it was to him, to whose memory it was sub- 
scribed : 

"The stars on our banner 

Grew suddenly dim ; 
Let us weep in our darkness, 

But weep not for him ; 
Not for him, who departing, 

Left millions in tears ; 
Not for him who has died 

Full of honors Bnd years ; 
Not for him who ascended 

Fame's ladder so high, — 
From the round at the top 

He has stepped to the sky." 

Amen. 



APPENDIX. 



399 



After the sermon I read the following : 
General Ulyssis S. Grant, the great American 
soldier, and President of the United States, from 
March 4, 1869, to March 4, 1877, was born at 
Point Pleasant. Clermont County, Ohio, April 27, 
1822, and died July 23, 1865, at Mount McGregor, 
state of New York, aged 63 years, 2 months, and 
26 days. He is buried to-day at Riverside Park, 
New York, by a mourning people, most highly 
honored by all. 




400 APPENDIX. 



PREPARATORY SERMON. 

1 ' But let a man examine himself. ' ' i Cor. xi. 28. 

Dear Brethren, and fellow-laborers in the 
gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ : We 
are here to-day to hold services preparator}? to our 
annual Synodical Communion. Another year, with 
its toil, labor, difficulties, disagreements, and trials, 
has passed away. Also, its privileges, and pleas- 
ures, and more than thirty-five millions of our fel- 
low beings. O, what a wonder that we are yet 
alive ! But in the merciful Providence of God, 
our lives have been spared, and we are permitted 
to meet again in our annual Synodical Convention, 
permitted again to look each other in the face, 
take each other by the hand, extend friendly greet- 
ing, speak words of cheer, and report the results 
of our labors in the Lord, during the }/ear just 
closed. We are here, also, to devise ways and 
means, in our judgment best calculated to promote 
the glory of our Divine Master, and the spread of 
his kingdom in the future. To some of us, the year 
just closed may be the last one. It appears to me 
that these Synodical meetings are not ordinary 
occasions. We meet not only as Christian Breth- 
ren, but as Christian Ministers, the representatives 
of Christ, and co-workers with him in a higher 



APPENDIX. 4 CI 

sense even than the laity. The church looks to us, 
and rightly, too, as her leaders. We are at least 
supposed to possess greater religious knowledge 
and experience than the laity. And we occupy 
higher positions in the church than they do. And 
with increased knowledge, experience, and eleva- 
ted position comes corresponding responsibility, 
greater reward, if faithful, and greater condemna- 
tion if unfaithful. We are here to report the re- 
sults of our labor, to close our accounts for the 
year, and to transact business for the Lord. Our 
circumstances and surroundings, therefore, as well 
as the word of God, seem to call for reflection, 
meditation, self-examination, and prayer. To us 
ministers, as well as the laity, do the words of the 
text apply, "Let a man examine himself." 

Again, the same Apostle says, "Examine your- 
selves, whether ye be in the faith, prove your own 
selves." II Cor. xiii. 5. Self examination is a duty 
ot great importance, that should be faithfully and 
diligently attended to by us ministers, as well as 
the laity, and every member of the church. Let us, 
therefore, my brethren, stop for a few moments 
this afternoon and inquire : 

I. As to our personal religious experience. 
We take it for granted that every minister of the 
gospel present has started right. That he has been 
"Born again" — "Born of the water and the Spirit," 
has been adopted into the Divine family, and has 
the love of God shed abroad in his heart. He has 



4°2 APPENDIX. 

"received the spirit, not of bondage unto fear, but 
of adoption, whereby he cries, Abba, Father," and 
has also been called of God to this sacred office. 
But let us also inquire, whether, while striving to 
save souls, and to lead the flock of Christ into green 
pastures, and by the side of still waters, have we 
-personally enjoyed the life-giving power of the 
word we preached to others ? Have our souls 
been feeding upon that bread, that hidden manna, 
which is from above, and drank deeper and deeper 
of the water of life. Have we, like the apostles — 
"forgetting the things that are behind, -pressed to- 
ward the mark for the prize of our high calling of 
God, as it is in Christ Jesus ?" Have we heeded 
his exhortation to the Hebrews, vi. i, "Therefore, 
leaving the principles of the doctrines of Christ, 
let us go on to perfection" and that of Peter. u But 
grow in grace and in the knowledge of our 
Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ ?" Has our-path 
been that of the just, "which is as a shining light, 
that shineth more and more, even unto the perfect 
day ?" Have the Christian graces been thus de- 
veloping in our hearts and lives ? Is our exper- 
ience in Christ Jesus richer, deeper, fuller and 
sweeter to-day than it was one year ago ? And 
as we are one year older, and nearer the end of 
life's journey, are we one year better men ? O, 
has there been a "hungering and thirsting after 
righteousness," and a constant reaching out after 
higher attainments in Christ Jesus ? Or while anx- 



APPENDIX. 403 

ious for the salvation of others, have we been sat- 
isfied with -past attainments, neglected our souls, 
and are we in danger of being "Castaways" in the 
end ? How stands the account with us to-day, 
dear brethren ? "Let a man examine himself." 

II. Again, we might inquire, also, as to our 
ministry. Have we faithfully preached Christ ? 
Christ in all his offices, as Prophet, Priest and 
King ? Christ, mighty to save, willing to save, 
and as our only hope ? Have we so preached 
Christ as to feed the sheep and lambs of the flock, 
and to awaken the sinner ? "Not shunning to de- 
clare the whole council of God," placing life and 
good and death and evil before the people, warning 
them to flee the wrath to come, and to choose life 
and salvation ? Have we been earnestly and zeal- 
ously affected in a good cause ? Have our ser- 
mons been pure, unadulterated, gushing from the 
fullness of our hearts, and -powerful m the word of 
the Lord ? Have we been bold in denouncing the 
evils of the day. Have we "cried aloud and spared' 
not, lifted up the voice like a trumpet, and showed 
the people their transgressions, and the house of 
Jacob their sins ?" Have we obeyed the voice of 
the "Thus saith the Lord God, smite with thine 
hand and stamp with thy foot, and say, alas, for all 
the abominations of the house of Israel ?" Isaiah 
viii. 1, and Ezek. vi. 2. Or have we been cold, for- 
mal, and indifferent, apologized for sin, justified 
the evil, and preached to please, rather than to 



404 APPENDIX. 

save f God says to us, "When I say unto the 
wicked — O, wicked man, thou shalt surely die if 
thou dost not speak to warn the wicked of his 
ways, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, 
but his blood will I require at thine hand. Never- 
theless, if thou warn the wicked of his way, to turn 
from it, if he do not turn from it, he shall die in his 
iniquity, but thou has delivered thy soul." Ezek. 
xxxiii. 8-9. O, brethren, fearful is our responsi- 
bility, and have we so preached, as to be clear of 
the blood of our/g//^w man ? "Let a man exam- 
ine himself." 

III. Again we might inquire as to our pasto- 
ral work in general. Have we faithfully adminis- 
tered the sacraments, the Holy Supper, and the or- 
dinance of Baptism ? Have we instructed the 
young, visited the sick, the poor, and the afflicted ? 
In pastoral visitation, have we hunted up the mem- 
bership, speaking words of cheer to the discour- 
aged, "raised the fallen, cheered the faint, rebuked, 
reproved, and exhorted with all long-suffering 
and patience ?" Have we been "Instant in season, 
out of season," gone out into the highways and 
hedges, compelling them to come in ; or, have we 
sought our ease and neglected our work ? "Let 
a man examine himself." 

IV. But again. Have we been men of 
prayer and mighty faith ? Of all christian men, the 
minister of the gospel should be a man of prayer. 
Prayer must fit us for our work, and prayer must 
brine: our success. 



APPENDIX. 405 

■ ' Prayer is appointed to convey 

The blessing God designs to give, 
Long as they live, should christian's pray, 
For only while they pray they live." 

So says the poet. We should pray in the 
study, around the family altar, in the prayer-meet- 
ing, in pastoral visitation, and in the public congre- 
gation. Yea, "always and everywhere lifting up 
holy hands without wrath or doubting." And our 
prayers should not be cold, formal and dead, but 
spiritual, gushing from the fullness of our sousl, 
for 

' ' Prayer is the souls sincere desire, 
Uttered, or unexpressed, 
The motion of a hidden fire 
That trembles in the breast." 

Again, 

1 ' Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw, 
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw, 
Gives exercise to faith and love, 
Brings every blessing from above. ' ' 

" Restraining prayer we cease to fight, 

Prayer makes the christian armor bright, 
And Satan trembles when he sees 
The weakest saint upon his knees." 

O, have we been men of earnest, constant, 
spiritual, believing prayer ? Our success will de- 
pend largely upon this, and it will be a powerful 
help to cheer our souls, and to bear us up in times 
of difficulties and trials, and in all dark seasons. 
See, for examples, Christ, Luther, and others ; 
have we thus prayed ? "Let a man examine him- 
self." 



4°6 APPENDIX. 

V. Again, examine as to our deportment in 
the world. Has it "been such as becometh the 
gospel of Christ?" We are the "Light of the 
World," and "He hath appointed us to be ensam- 
ples to the flock," to be his representatives in the 
world. We must, therefore, experience in our own 
souls the power of the gospel we preach to others. 
Practice what we teach, and strive to walk in those 
ways ourselves, in which we direct others. Has 
our preaching, praying and all our efforts to do 
good, been backed up by a consistent example? 
Can we say, as did the apostle, "Follow me, as I 
follow Christ." Have we always manifest d, in our 
tempers and dispositions, the spirit of Christ ? 
This is a most important point. "Actions speak 
louder than words," and it matters but little how 
much or how well we preach, pray and labor, if 
our lives are not consistent, we can accomplish but 
little good. We are the representatives of Christ, 
and must be Christ-like. Be Christ-like in our 
tempers, dispositions and lives, so that those with 
whom we associate, may "see that we have been 
with Christ and learned of him." We must be men 
of prayer, of mighty faith, and of good report, then 
shall we indeed shine as the lights of the world. 
Is this our character ? do we love our work, de- 
light in it, and can we say with Paul, "God forbid 
that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto 
me, and I unto the world?" Gal. vi. 14. "Let a 
man examine himself." 



APPENDIX. 407 

VI. But, by way of conclusion, I remark : 
I This examination should be made fre- 
quently. Every evening, when we lie down on 
that bed, where, before morning, we may breathe 
our last, but especially on this occasion, and at this 
time. At the close of another Synodical year, and 
on the eve of another Synodical communion,when 
we expect to surround the Lord's table, to com- 
memorate his sufferings and death, as well as to 
renew our covenant with him, and with one an- 
other. To some of us, this may be the last time. 
We should, therefore, "examine ourselves," sol- 
emnly and prayerfully before God, asking him "to 
search our hearts and try our reigns, and see 
whether there is any evil way in us, and to guide 
us into the way everlasting." Our usefulness, our 
happiness, and our success depends upon this. 

II. But again. No doubt, upon mature re- 
flection and prayerful ^//^examination, we shall 
find defects in our christian character. See where 
we may have been remiss in duty, where we might 
have done more and better for the Master, where 
opportunities to do good have been left pass by 
unimproved, where we might have spoken a word 
or done a kind act for Jesus, and where our hearts 
and thoughts have wandered too far from God ; 
and such reflections as these should lead to re- 
pentance, humiliation, and earnest prayer. We 
should ask God to pass by our imperfections, heal 
our secret backslidings,, pardon our sins, and blot 
out our transgressions, in his mercy. 



408 APPENDIX. 

III. Again, it should lead to renewed conse- 
cration of ourselves, and all we have, and are, to 
God, and his service. I have tried to place my- 
self, my life, my health, my family, and all my in- 
terests, into his hands, and by his grace to assist me, 
and his spirit to direct me, I want to use the 
means, and leave results with the Lord, trusting 
fully in him. Dear Brethren, will you bear with 
me a few moments, in reference to myself. I am 
preaching under peculiar circumstances to-day. 
Fifty-two years ago, the twenty-first day of last 
April, I first saw the light of day. Thirty-two 
years ago, last February, I gave my heart to Je- 
sus. Thirty-two years ago, yesterday, at half-past 
two o'clock, I preached my first sermon ; hence, 
this is the first day, and the first sermon in the 
thirty-third year of my ministry. From that day, 
I continued in the active work, except one year 
after mother's death, when I retired to care for 
father ? until his death, and four years, when I was 
disabled by the typhoid fever, and its effects, re- 
sulting in the loss of my voice, and partial disa- 
bility for that length of time. In these years, I 
have preached over 5,000 sermons, and have been 
the means of leading many souls to Jesus. There 
are many in glory to-day through my instrumen- 
tality, by God's blessing, and many more are on 
their way thither. I have two natural sons, in the 
ministry of the Lutheran Church, one at Frees- 
burg, New Jersey, and one down the river in Mill 



APPENDIX. 409 

Creek, and I have many spiritual sons in the min- 
istry, but the exact number I can not tell. In 1866 
I was appointed to the Bendersville Circuit, in Ad- 
ams county, and moved to Bendersville. Among 
my various appointments was a small, old, dilapi- 
dated school house, known as the Cranberry school 
house. Just across the road stood a large brick 
Lutheran church. A short distance down the road 
stood a U. B. Church, and we had but three mem- 
bers here. I told them, there was no need of me 
preaching here, as they had two churches already, 
but I would preach until fall ; then I would hold a 
series of meetings, and if I succeeded in effecting 
an organization,! would continue the appointment, 
if not, I would discontinue it. In December, 1866, 
twenty-four years ago, next December, I held a 
meeting there. We had a good meeting, and six- 
teen young persons were happily converted to 
God. But their parents mostly belonged to one or 
the other of these churches, and I think children 
should join the church of their parents, and I ad- 
vised them to do so, and discontinued the appoint- 
ment. Four years later, I was sent into the same 
neighborhood by the Presiding Elder to superin- 
tend a campmeeting for him. I preached my first 
sermon on Friday morning, and while preaching, 
I noticed two young men sitting side by side, lis- 
tening very attentively. Their eyes fairly sparkled 
with delight, and inspired me in preaching. After 
the congregation was dismissed, they both came to 



41 APPENDIX. 

me, took me by the hand, and called me "Brother 
Dietterich." But I did not recognize them. "Why 
don't you know us ; we both got religion at your 
meeting in the Cranberry school house." "Indeed, 
and are you still trying to serve the Lord ! " 
"Yes, we are both preparing for the ministry." 

Both are now in the ministry. I have several 
letters, carefully laid away, received from one of 
them, in which he thanks God for what I was en- 
abled to do for him in the little old school house. 
And who is he ! It is Rev. E. D. Weigel, pastor 
of the First Lutheran church in Altoona. I now 
hold in my hand a letter received from the other 
one, but last Monday, in which he says : "I, too, 
will never forget the little country school house. 
I remember the sermon you preached, and some 
of the outlines, but have forgotten the text. I had 
no thought of going to the altar, but God blessed 
the truth to my heart, and I took my stand for Je- 
sus that night." And who is this one ! It is Rev. 
David A. Day, our missionary in Africa. O, when 
I look back 24 years to the meeting in that little 
old dilapidated school house, and then look at the 
work Brother Day is doing in Africa, I see how 
great things may come from very small begin- 
nings. 

But I feel that I shall not preach 32 years 
more, nor five thousand sermons more, but thank- 
ing God for what I have been enabled to do by his 
blessing, and for the success granted in the past, 



APPENDIX. 411 

I would, on this, the first clay, and the first sermon 
in the 33rd year of my ministry, reconsecrate my- 
self, and all I have and am, to his service. O, let 
us heed the exhortation of the apostle, "I beseech 
you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, 
that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, 
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable ser- 
vice." 

IV. Again, renewed consecration will lead 
to a richer experience, and a fuller enjoyment in 
Christ Jesus, and to greater success in our holy 
ministry. O, may God bless us with new desires 
to serve him more earnestly, zealously and fully. 
May he make us men after his own heart, "Work- 
men that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing 
the word of truth." Yea, may he baptize us anew 
with the Holy Ghost and with power, so that "If 
we live, we may live unto the Lord, and if we die, 
we may die unto the Lord, that whether we live 
or die, we may be the Lord's." O, dear brethren, 
the time is short, and men are dying in darkness 
all around us. "The hosts of sin are rallying their 
forces against the Lord and against his Anointed." 
Let us awake, arise, and go forth to the conflict. 
The press, with its Sunday paper and poisonous 
literature, is poisoning the minds of the, young. The 
liquor traffic and liquor men are destroying the old 
and the young, soul and body, for time and eter- 
nity. Socialism, infidelity, skepticism and the va- 
rious isms of the day would rob us of our Christian 



412 APPENDIX. 

Sabbath, take away the Bible out of our schools' 
and deprive us of all that is good. O, let not the 
gospel trumpet give an uncertain sound. Let us 
not sleep on the post of duty, but "Lift up the 
voice like a trumpet, cry aloud and spare not." 
"Smite with the hand, and stamp with the foot, 
and cease not, day or night, to show the people 
their sins," calling sin by its right name, and do 
what we can to uphold the right, put down the 
wrong, and save the souls of the children of men, 
for whom Christ died. And then, having faith- 
fully preached Christ, and labored to "turn many 
to righteousness," when we have preached the 
last sermon, directed the last sinner to Christ, 
offered up the last prayer, shed the last tear, and 
met and parted for the last time in Synodical 
Convention, may we hear the honorable testimony, 
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou 
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make 
thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the 
joy of thy Lord." Then shall we receive lily- 
white robes, palms of victory, and crowns of glory, 
enter through the gates into the city, and have a 
right to the tree of life, and "shine as the bright- 
ness of the firmament, and as the stars, forever 
and ever." And to the "Father, Son and Holy 
Ghost", will we ascribe all the praise, world with- 
out end. 

Amen. 



APPENDIX. 413 

Lesson, Titus ii chapter, and 1 Cor. ii. 23-31. 
Hymns 197, 200, 458. 



THE END. 



414 INDEX 



INDEX TO THE APPENDIX. 

I. 

"Luther's work and experience at the 
Wartburg," read before the York Co. 
Conference, New Freedom, York Co., 
'May 14, 1888. The subject was assign- 
ed to Rev. A. W. Lilly, D. D., and my- 
self. By mutual consent, he and I 
agreed to reverse the order, and I 
should speak first and he followed me. 
Dr. Lilly thanked me publicly before 
the Conference for my paper Again, 
the next day, on the street in York, 
Dr. Miller, in whose church the Con- 
ference met, also thanked me for it. - 365 

II. 

"My Father's Business," read before the 
York Co. Conference, Nov. 12, 1888. 
The subject was assigned to Rev. Cly- 
mer and myself. I was highly compli- 
mented by the officers of Conference. 
Also, by Rev. B. F. Alleman, Rev. 
Sherts, of the Harrisburg Conference, 
and others. - - - - -375 

III. 

Funeral sermon for General Grant, 



INDEX 415 

preached August 8, 1885, for the Col- 
onel D. L. Montgomery Post, No. 264, 
G. A. R., in the Presbyterian church at 
Montgomery Station, Lycoming Co., 
Pa. ------ 386 

IV. 
Preparatory Sermon, preached by appoint- 
ment before the Central Penna. Synod, 
convened in Philipsburg, Pa., at the 
preparatory services, Sept. 27th, 1890, 
being the first day and the first sermon 
in the thirty-third year of my ministry. 
I stood forth from the top as to age 
in the ministry, and so preached to my 
brethren. But three of them had ever 
heard me preach before, and none knew 
my relation to Rev. Weigle and Day 
until now. - - - - - - 400 



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